Never Alone
by NALEYAAF23
Summary: Single parent Meredith Grey from Seattle meets divorced parent Derek Shepherd from NYC. When a tragedy happens, Derek moves his children to Seattle. The two familes then get closer than ever. However, Meredith doesn't want to swallow her pride and open her heart to love again. Will she admit her true feelings before it's too late? Rewrite of Never Alone.
1. Meet and Greet

**A/N**: As much as I had loved writing this story, I felt that it needed to be rewritten. Hope you all enjoy the new and improved version. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer**: Only own my characters Morgan Grey and Katie Shepherd

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**Chapter One**

**Meet and Greet**

Meredith looked around at the decorated church. She was amazed how beautiful the place looked. She turned to her nervous sister. "What do you think? Is it too much? After all, I want everything to be perfect for tomorrow," Lexie told her.

A small voice spoke up. "I love it, Aunt Lexie."

Meredith and Lexie exchanged smiles before they turned to the little blonde girl standing besides them. "Thank you, Morgan," Lexie replied. "I'm glad you think so." She then turned back to her sister. "It's too much, right?"

Meredith shook her head. "No, I think it looks great," she assured her. She gave her sister a comforting smile. "You need to stop stressing out. Your wedding is going to go off without a hitch tomorrow."

Lexie sighed. "I hope so."

"It will. I will make sure nothing ruins your wedding," Meredith promised her. "Now is there anything else I can do for you or Mark before the wedding?"

Lexie nodded. "Do you remember Mark talking about his best friend Derek Shepherd all the time? The one back in New York City?"

"Of course. His daughter Katie is the same age as Morgan," Meredith replied. She had never met either of them, but had heard Mark talk about them often enough. He always visited them and brought back tons of pictures especially of Katie, who was his goddaughter.

"I've arranged for Derek and Katie to fly in as a surprise for the wedding. Their plane is coming in tonight and I was wondering if you could pick them up for me," Lexie told her. "I know it's last minute, but Derek couldn't decide whether he was coming or not. And he had to convince his ex-wife to let Katie come along."

Meredith sighed. "Alright, I'll go pick them up. What hotel did you set them up with?" she asked.

Lexie turned red. "Actually, I told him that they could stay at our place."

Meredith gave her a look. "And you never thought to ask me if it was ok to have guests in the house?"

"I'm sorry. I was so busy with the wedding plans that I forgot to consult with you about Derek and Katie," Lexie replied.

Meredith nodded understandingly. "It's ok. It's fine. What time does their flight get in?" she asked her.

Lexie looked at the time. "You should go now."

"Alright. Why don't you take Morgan home and I'll see you there after I pick up our guests?"

"I want to come with you," Morgan protested. Meredith agreed and she took her daughter's hand. They quickly said good-bye to Lexie before leaving the church and heading to the car.

They were soon at the airport, waiting at the proper terminal for Derek and Katie to arrive. Meredith was a little nervous meeting Derek. She had heard such great stories from Mark about him that she hoped that he was just as kind, caring and funny as Mark said he is. She also hoped that Morgan and Katie could get along especially since they were sharing "Uncle Mark".

Meredith then looked up and saw a man and a young red-headed girl walking towards them. She knew it was them from the pictures that Mark had showed her. She grabbed Morgan's hand as they got up from the chairs.

Meredith was relieved when Derek gave her a smile when he recognized her. She was about to point him and Katie out to Morgan when she noticed that she was hiding behind her. She wasn't surprised since Morgan always had been nervous about meeting new people.

"It's ok, Morgan. They're Uncle Mark's friends," Meredith told her gently as the man and the little girl approached them. "You must be Derek and Katie." Derek nodded. "I'm Meredith Grey and this is my daughter Morgan," she said as Morgan poked her head out to see the newcomers.

"It's nice to meet both of you," Derek replied as he gave her a wider smile than before. "Mark has told us so much about you two and Lexie, of course." The two parents turned to their daughters, who were looking at each other nervously. "Katie, say 'hi'.

"Hi," Katie said quietly.

"Well, let's get your suitcases and get back to the house. We'll be able to get to know each other then," Meredith said as she led them towards the baggage claim. Neither child was willing to let go of their parent's hand.

There was an awkward silence before Derek decided to speak first. "So what did Mark tell you about me?" he asked her as they walked through the crowd.

"He didn't talk about you as much as he did about Katie," Meredith replied as she gave a smile to the little girl. Katie smiled in return. Meredith then noticed the upset look on her daughter's face. She then turned to Derek as she gestured to Morgan. "How about you tell me about yourself first? Then we'll talk about what I already know about you and Katie?" she asked him hopefully.

Derek looked at Morgan before agreeing. "Where should I begin? Well, I grew up with four sisters. I'm a high school biology teacher. And I'm the father of two lovely children with Katie being the oldest. Is there anything else that Mark told you about me?" he asked her as he grabbed his suitcase off of the luggage carriage.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Meredith asked her. "Are you afraid that he said something bad about you?"

Just then, they heard a small voice. They looked down at Katie, who was tugging on Derek's pants. "Daddy, I see my suitcase," she told her father as she pointed to the suitcase with _The Little Mermaid_ characters on the front of it. Derek pulled it off and brought it over to his daughter.

Meredith gave Katie a wide smile. "I see that you like _The Little Mermaid_," she noted.

Katie nodded. "Yep."

"She's crazy for that princess," Derek added. He turned to Morgan. "So which princess do you like?"

"Aurora," Morgan replied shyly.

"Daddy, I'm hungry. I want something to eat," Katie whined.

"Do you mind if we stop somewhere to get something to eat? We didn't have much on the plane," Derek told Meredith.

"Just no peanuts," Katie added.

"Katie is allergic," Derek told her.

Meredith nodded understandingly. "It's no problem."

After grabbing a bite to eat, they were on their way to the house. Derek and Meredith Once they arrived at the house, Lexie was there to greet them. She had Prince, their German Shepherd puppy, with her.

Katie was excited when she saw him. "Daddy, can I play with the puppy?" she asked eagerly.

"He's my puppy," Morgan said angrily.

"Morgan, maybe you could play with Prince together," Meredith suggested. Morgan seemed satisfied with that answer. She didn't say anything as her mother helped her out of her car seat. Derek did the same with Katie. "I'm sorry about that. It's hard for Morgan to share since she's an only child," she explained as the children ran off with Prince.

Derek nodded understandingly. "I know what it's like. I had the same problem with my sisters. Katie does too." He then turned to Lexie who was walking over to them. "This must be the famous Lexie. I'm Derek Shepherd and the little girl playing with Morgan is my daughter Katie."

"It's so nice to meet you. Thank you for coming," Lexie said.

"Thank you for inviting us. I'm sorry that it was last minute though," Derek replied.

Lexie shrugged. "Don't worry about it," she told him. She quickly changed the subject. "Do you need help with bringing your suitcases in?" she asked him.

Derek shook his head. "No, I think I got it," he replied as Meredith popped the trunk. "I can't thank you two enough for letting us stay with you girls. I'm sure it's crowded already with the wedding guests."

"No, we're happy to do it," Lexie replied as Derek pulled the suitcases out. He followed her onto the front porch and into the house while Meredith went to watch the girls play in the backyard with Prince.

After awhile, Meredith sent the girls inside. The parents could see that the two little girls were getting along better now. Meredith was relieved. She wasn't surprised though. She knew that Morgan had made a new best friend. She even wanted Katie to sleep in her room. Katie didn't object and a sleeping bag was soon set up in the bedroom. Once it was bedtime, Meredith read them a story before she tucked them in with each of their favorite dolls. Derek then came in and kissed his daughter good-night. Meredith did the same with her own daughter. The night-light then plugged in and the two parents left the room.

"I'm glad that Morgan and Katie are getting along now," Meredith told him once they arrived back downstairs to the kitchen. "I didn't think they would at first."

Derek turned to her. "What about us?" he asked her.

"I wasn't too sure about us either," Meredith admitted. "But I didn't want to judge you before getting to know you."

"To be honest, Mark didn't really say much about you except you are a very private person," Derek told her.

Meredith couldn't argue with him on that. "Well, he's right. You really don't want to know me. I'm all dark and twisty inside."

Derek laughed. "Dark and twisty? Where did you come up with that?"

"Laugh all you want, but it's true," Meredith replied.

"Let me be the judge of that," Derek told her.


	2. Bride and Groom

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews. I have been writing fanfiction stories, just not Grey's Anatomy stories.

**Disclaimer:** Only own the GA children

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**Chapter Two**

**Bride and Groom**

The next morning, Meredith woke up bright and early. There were still a few last minute things to do for the wedding. However, she wanted to make her sister a special breakfast first since it was her wedding day.

Meredith walked downstairs and into the kitchen. She was surprised when she saw Derek already at the stove, working away. He gave her a wide smile as he turned to her. "Good morning. I thought I would make breakfast for my lovely hostesses."

Meredith returned the smile. "That's very thoughtful of you, but you're the guest. You should be letting me do that," she replied.

"I don't mind. Besides, I'm used to doing it. After all, I have two children to feed, one with an allergy," Derek pointed out as he pulled out his wallet and handed a picture to Meredith. She looked at the small boy with black hair. "And then Christopher, my two-year-old son, is a picky eater."

Meredith couldn't help but smile at the picture. "He's adorable and looks just like you." She then changed the subject back to their original topic. "It sounds like you have your hands full with two little ones," Meredith noted. "I just have trouble taking care of one. I don't know how you do it with two."

"It's not easy especially since my wife and I are divorced," Derek said.

"If you don't mind me asking, how long has it been since you two have divorced?" Meredith asked him.

"We divorced just a few months ago," Derek replied.

"I'm sorry," Meredith said sympathetically.

Derek shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Luckily, the divorce was easy to settle. I'm able to see Katie and Christopher every other weekend, which is nice. I love spending time with them. Of course, it is hard during birthdays and holidays. But we make it work."

Meredith nodded understandingly. "So what are you making for breakfast?" she asked as she saw the different food cooking over the stove. There were eggs, bacon and French toast. She looked at him in surprise.

"It's going to be a feast fit for a bride and her maid of honor," Derek replied. "And perhaps a little flower girl as well."

Meredith tried not to laugh. "Morgan doesn't really like to try new things including food. So I think she will stick to her cereal. But you can give it a shot if you want."

"What about you?" Derek asked her as he gave her a smile. "Are you willing to try my food?"

Meredith returned the smile. "With it smelling so good, I don't think I will be able to resist."

"I know that you are going to enjoy it," Derek replied as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. They turned to the door and waited to see who it was. They exchanged smiles as Lexie came into the room. "Good morning, bride to be."

Lexie tried to smile, but Meredith could see that she was nervous. She tried to get her mind off of her wedding. "What are you doing down here?" she asked her. "The bride doesn't come down until we're ready to leave. Now go back upstairs and your breakfast will be brought to you." Lexie was about to protest, but Meredith gave her a firm look. "Hey, I'm the maid of honor. Not to mention your older sister. So go and relax. I'll let you know when you should get up," she said as she gave her sister a smile. Lexie smiled in return as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Boy, she really is nervous, isn't she?" Derek noted. "I can't say that I blame her. After all, she is getting married to the person she wants to spend the rest of her life together. I'm sure every bride is the same way. I know Addison was."

Meredith quickly changed the subject. "So is that delicious breakfast ready yet? Because I would really like to try some."

Derek nodded as he turned off the stove. "The feast is ready for eating." Just then, they heard another pair of feet coming down the stairs. This time, they knew it was more than one person. They weren't surprised when the two little girls arrived in the kitchen. They both have wide smiles on their faces. "Good morning, girls."

"Mommy, Aunt Lexie told us that we both can be her flower girls," Morgan told her mother excitedly.

The two parents exchanged smiles before they turned back to their daughters. "What a nice surprise. And I'm sure Uncle Mark won't object either," Derek replied. Meredith had to agree.

A few hours later, they were all at the back of the church, waiting anxiously for everyone to arrive. However, Lexie was still apprehensive about getting married. Her maid of honor, bridesmaids and the two flower girls were all trying to calm her down. But nothing that they said seemed to be working.

Meredith decided to have one last try. "Lexie, you are getting married today to the man you love. You two will work out everything else when the time comes," she said as she gave her sister a comforting smile.

Lexie returned the smile. "You're right. Well, I think I'm ready as I will ever be."

"Great because it's time," Callie Torres told her as she took the little girls out of the room. The other bridesmaids followed with Meredith and Lexie right behind them. Everyone heard the organist playing the wedding music.

One by one, the bridesmaids walked down the aisle before it was Meredith's turn. She gave everyone a wide smile as she advanced down the carpet. She and Derek exchanged smiles as she reached the front of the aisle. She walked over to the other bridesmaids. She then turned around as the ring-bearer appeared. Everyone then waited for Katie and Morgan to appear.

The music kept going as everyone waited for the two flower girls to come down the aisle. However, the church doors stayed closed and the organist stopped playing the music. The wedding guests started to whisper among themselves. Derek and Meredith exchanged looks as they got ready to head to the doors to see what was going on with their daughters.

Just then, the church doors opened and the music started up again. Katie and Morgan walked out, each holding a side of the basket. They exchanged smiles as they threw the flowers out. They then smiled at their parents as they continued down the aisle. Once they reached the front, they went over to Meredith and stood by her as the wedding guests stood up.

Other than the short pause, the wedding went smoothly. Meredith could see that Lexie's nerves disappeared as soon as she saw Mark waiting for her at the front of the church. She just smiled and listened as the bride and groom recited their vows. It wasn't long before Mark and Lexie shared a kiss, signifying that they were now husband and wife.

Everyone clapped and cheered as the reverend announced that Mark and Lexie were now Mr. and Mrs. Mark Sloan. The two smiled proudly at their audience as they strolled down the aisle, hand-in-hand.

At the reception, Lexie told Meredith and Derek what had happened behind the double doors. "Morgan didn't want to do it. She was too scared to. I should have known that would happen. I forgot how shy she can be," Lexie explained. "Then Katie encouraged her that she could do it if they did it together. So Morgan agreed. It was so adorable."

Derek just gave her a smile. "Well, Katie doesn't know anything about being shy. Back home, she has plenty of cousins to play with. So she used to being in a big crowd," he said. "I'm glad she was able to help her new friend out." He then turned to Mark. "Speaking of children, are you two planning to wait very long before starting a family?" he asked his best friend.

Mark and Lexie exchanged smiles before turning back to Derek. "Actually, we want to get started right away. We're not getting any younger, you know." Derek and Meredith knew that he had a point. He then turned back to Derek. "What about you, Derek? Are you planning to ever walk down the aisle again?" he teased.

Derek gave him a look. "I just got divorced and you are already trying to set me up?" he asked him. "You are as bad as Mom."

Mark just smiled. "Well, you should listen to your mother. She knows best," he replied as he got up from his chair. "Dance with me, my beautiful bride?" he asked Lexie as he held out his hand.

Lexie smiled in return. "I'd love to," she replied as she took his hand and got up from her own chair.

Derek and Meredith exchanged smiles as they watched the newlywed couple walked out on the dance floor once more. They already had their first dance while their wedding party and guests had watched happily including Meredith. Even though she didn't have anybody, she was still happy for her sister. She knew that Mark was the perfect man for her sister.

They then watched the two before they went back to talking to each other. "So do you still do what your mother tells you after all these years?" Meredith joked.

Derek laughed. "No, but she tries to get me to listen to her especially when it concerns her grandchildren."

"I don't blame her. Katie's a great kid," Meredith said as they turned to look at their daughters, who were dancing with George O'Malley and Alex Karev, who were friends of the Grey sisters."And I'm sure Christopher is too."

Derek gave her a smile. "Well, maybe I'll be able to bring both kids next time. Or you and Morgan can come to New York to visit us," he suggested.

Meredith smiled back at him. "That sounds like fun. We've never been to New York."

"Well, you're lucky that you have experts to show you around," Derek said before he changed the subject. "Do you want to dance?" he asked her. Meredith nodded and he brought her out on the dance floor.


	3. Something to Talk About

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews.

**Disclaimer**: Only own the GA children

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**Chapter Three**

** Something to Talk About **

The rest of the weekend flew by quickly and it was soon time for Derek and Katie to head back to New York. However, both parents agreed to keep in contact. They were happy that their daughters had become friends after starting out not getting along. Since the girls couldn't write yet, they would have to settle on phone calls, letters written by their parents and email messages with picture attachments. They were also doing Skype when they could.

The two weeks were a little challenging for Meredith since she had to take care of Morgan by herself. However, she was able to manage since she had found a temporary baby-sitter until Lexie came back from her honeymoon with Mark. Yet, she knew that she would have to find a permanent one since Lexie wouldn't be living with her and Morgan in the house anymore. She would be moving in with Mark at his apartment.

Over those two weeks, Derek and Meredith talked a lot about the right time for Meredith and Morgan to come out and visit them in New York. After much discussion, it was decided that they would come to New York in a couple of months once school was out for the summer. Both Greys and Shepherds couldn't wait until that time. Both Katie and Morgan were eagerly counting down the days.

One late afternoon in New York, Derek was sitting at his kitchen table and was reading the newspaper when he heard the front door opening. He got up from his chair as he heard running footsteps. He was surprised when he saw that it was Katie and Christopher. He embraced his children in a tight hug as his ex-wife came into the room. They greeted each other as Derek looked at her confused. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked as he turned to his ex-wife.

"I know that this is last minute, but I was wondering if you could watch Katie and Christopher," Addison said. "I just found out that I have to go to L.A. this weekend."

Derek didn't even have to think about it. "Of course I would be glad to take care of my children," he replied as he gave them a smile. Katie happily smiled back. "Now why don't you help your brother with unpacking while I talk to Mommy for a few minutes, ok?"

Katie nodded and led her brother out of the room. Addison then turned to Derek and raised her eyebrows. "I assume this is about your Seattle friend?" she asked him. Derek was about to ask when she answered for him. "Katie told me."

Derek wondered where she was going with this. "And you have a problem with that?" he asked her.

"No, I'm happy that she has a new friend. I would just prefer that she lives in the same state," Addison replied. Derek had to agree. "It would be easier for everyone including you." Derek was about to respond when she continued. "Come on, Derek. I heard how you flirted with Ms. Grey at Mark's wedding."

"Who did you hear that from?" Derek asked her.

"Mark told me when I asked him about it last week," Addison replied.

Derek knew that he would be having a talk with Mark later. He gave her a look. "I did _not_ flirt with Ms. Grey. All we did was dance and talk about different topics. Isn't that what you are supposed to do at a wedding?" he asked her. This time, he didn't let her reply. "You know what? This is really none of your business. After all, we're not married anymore."

Addison didn't say anything at first. "I'm going to say good-bye to Katie and Christopher," she told him before she left the kitchen. Derek just stared after her before he went back to his newspaper.

After Addison left, he played with his children until it was bedtime. Once they were tucked into their beds, he made sure that they were asleep before picking up the phone and calling Mark.

"_Hey, Lexie and I were just talking about you_," Mark told him. "_How are you_?"

"Did that conversation involved me and Meredith?" Derek asked him. He didn't let Mark answer. "Because Addison was here earlier and she accused me of flirting with Meredith at your wedding." Mark didn't say anything. Derek knew he was waiting for more. "Mark, don't tell me that you are already trying to set me up with Meredith. I barely know her."

"_Then get to know her_," Mark insisted. "_You two have a lot in common. Trust me._"

"How can I do that when she doesn't want to open up to me?" Derek asked him. "She told me that she's dark and twisty."

"_Look, I'm sure she'll open up to you if you open up to her_," Mark replied before there was a short pause. "_I got to go. Lexie has dinner on the table. I'll talk to you later."_

They then said good-bye before Derek hung up the phone. He let out a sigh as he started to think about Meredith and her mysterious personal life. He could tell that she had been hurt in the past just by not wanting to talk about it. He wished that she could open up to him, but he knew that it would take time.

Derek didn't want to think about it much. Instead, he wanted to concentrate on the fun activities that he, Katie and Christopher were going to do that weekend. It wasn't often when Addison would drop them off for an unscheduled weekend. So it was a treat for all three of them. He knew that he would enjoy it as much as he could before they had to go back to their mother.

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That same weekend, Meredith was busy working at the hospital while Morgan was home with a baby-sitter. Meredith was a fifth year resident who was slowly approaching the end of her residency at Seattle Grace Hospital. She knew that she had to choose a hospital for her fellowship. The problem was that she wasn't sure if she wanted to leave Seattle Grace Hospital or even Seattle because of Morgan.

Meredith made the mistake by telling her best friend and fellow resident Cristina Yang the problem. She always confided her friend about everything. However, her motherly advice sometimes wasn't the right answer that Meredith wanted to hear. Of course, she shouldn't have been surprised. Even though Cristina was married, she and her husband Owen Hunt didn't have any children. Cristina didn't want any children and Owen seemed to respect that.

"Morgan's young. She has plenty of time to make new friends especially since she's not in school yet," Cristina told her.

Meredith gave her a look. "You know how shy she is. I'm surprised that she agreed to be Lexie's flower girl. If it wasn't for Katie, I'm sure she wouldn't have made it down the aisle."

"Then move to New York so she could be close to her new friend," Cristina suggested. There was a short pause before she asked, "What is with you Greys and New York men anyway?"

Meredith immediately knew what she was thinking. "Can we please stick to the subject? I want what's best for Morgan and I don't think choosing another hospital would work out right now."

"You're a wimp," Alex Karev told her as he sat down next to his fellow residents. "At least, George went off to the army. You won't even consider moving anywhere else." George O'Malley was one of their fellow residents who had signed up to be a trauma surgeon last year. Meredith was sad to see him go. However, he contacted his friends whenever he could.

"I'm trying to think about what's best for my daughter. You would understand that if you were a parent," Meredith said angrily as she picked up her tray and left the table. She knew her friends were just trying to help, but it was hard to take their advice especially since they weren't parents.

She didn't know what to do. It was such a hard decision to make. She couldn't think much about it as her pager went off. She soon grew distracted as she went to help the upcoming trauma patients that were arriving in the ambulances.

Hours later, she arrived back home. She was exhausted, but happy that she had managed to save all of her patients. After she paid the baby-sitter, she went to check on Morgan, who was fast asleep. She gave her daughter a smile as she kissed her gently on the forehead.

She then went back downstairs and into the kitchen, where her laptop was. She turned it on and immediately checked her email messages. She smiled to herself as she saw one from Derek. She clicked on the message and waited for it to show up.

Just as she was reading the sweet message, she noticed that someone was asking to Skype with her. She was surprised, but happy when she saw that it was Derek. She accepted the invitation and soon saw Derek's face.

"Good evening. I'm surprised to see you up," Meredith said as she looked at the time.

Derek let out a sigh. "Well, I couldn't sleep. There's too much on my mind."

Meredith nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I just got home from working my shift at the hospital and I'm exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for hours if I didn't have a lot on my mind."

"What's the problem?" Derek asked her.

Meredith didn't say anything for a moment before she finally spoke. "Well, I'm almost done with my residency at Seattle Grace Hospital. So while I have to study for my medical boards, I have to decide where I want to do my fellowship. The problem is that I don't want to move Morgan out of Seattle. I know she's only four, but she loves it here."

"I know how you feel. I would love to move out of New York, but I can't leave Katie and Christopher," Derek replied. "Actually, I've wanted to move out of New York for years. Before I could, I met my ex-wife and decided to stay. Besides, most of my family is here. So how can I take Katie and Christopher away from their cousins?" he asked her.

Meredith couldn't argue with that one. "Where would you move to?" she asked.

"Actually, I was thinking of Seattle," Derek replied. Meredith looked at him surprised. "Don't tell anybody, but that's partly the reason why I wanted to come to the wedding. I wanted to see Seattle."

"I thought that you just said that you don't want to uproot Katie and Christopher," Meredith said confused.

"I don't. And I wouldn't want to unless I would absolutely have to. But I need a change from New York," Derek said. "And I have a feeling that you need a change from Seattle. The only problem is the kids."

Meredith had to agree. "I have a feeling that either of us is going to sleep any time soon."


	4. Support System

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews.

**Disclaimer**: Only own the GA children

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**Chapter Four**

**Support System**

After the surprise late night conversation, Meredith decided that it was time to move on from Seattle. Even though she loved Seattle, she had to choose the best hospital for her fellowship. She just hoped Morgan would understand. However, all of their future plans were soon halted just a few weeks later.

Meredith was watching a movie with Morgan when they heard someone knocking at the front door. Meredith paused the movie as Morgan ran to the front door. She then waited to hear who it was. "Mommy, it's Aunt Lexie," Morgan called.

Meredith barely got off of the couch when Lexie rushed in, wearing a huge smile. She didn't let her sister greet her before she spoke. "Guess what? You are going to be an aunt! I'm pregnant," she exclaimed happily.

Meredith gave her sister a wide smile as she embraced her in a hug. "Lexie, that's wonderful."

Morgan jumped for joy. "I'm going to have a cousin," she exclaimed.

"Does Mark know?" Meredith asked her sister.

Lexie nodded. "Yes, he couldn't believe it himself until I showed him the positive pregnancy test."

"Well, you always did want to start your family right away," Meredith pointed.

"Yeah, but I didn't think it would actually work," Lexie replied. "Oh my god! I'm going to have a baby!" she squealed. Meredith just laughed as they heard a phone ringing. Lexie looked down at her phone and was surprised when she saw that it was Mark. "That's funny. I thought he was calling relatives." She excused herself before leaving the room to answer the phone call.

Meredith watched her as she left. She could see that her sister was concerned. However, she couldn't focus on her for long. Her daughter had a question. "Mommy, where do babies come from?"

Meredith sighed. She should have known that question was coming. Before she could answer, Lexie came back with an upset look on her face. "Lexie, what is it?" she asked worried. She didn't think something had happened to Mark so quickly after Lexie left him, but it was possible. She then had another terrible thought. "Is it George?"

Lexie shook her head. "George is fine." She then looked at Morgan. "Morgan, why don't you go play with Prince for awhile?" she asked her niece hopefully. Morgan nodded and obediently left the room. Lexie then turned back to Meredith. "Derek's ex-wife and his kids got into a car accident this morning."

Meredith's heart suddenly stopped. "Are they ok?" she asked anxiously.

Lexie didn't answer for a moment. "His son Christopher is fine, but his ex-wife and Katie are both in critical condition." Meredith suddenly grew worried about the little girl. "Derek isn't doing too well. Mark is planning to take the first flight out to New York. I would go with him, but I don't know Derek that well." She then turned to Meredith. "Maybe you could go with him." Meredith was about to reply when Lexie continued. "I'll watch Morgan for you while you're gone," she offered.

Meredith knew that Derek needed her right now. "Alright, I'll talk to Dr. Webber and see if I can get some time off."

The plans were soon arranged and it wasn't long before Meredith was on a plane headed to New York. Mark had gone ahead and had found out about an update on Katie's condition. Meredith, Lexie and Morgan had been relieved when they found out that Katie was doing better. Meredith didn't know how Morgan would react if her best friend died.

Morgan had taken the news about her best friend surprisingly well. Of course, she thought that the doctors could easily fix her up. Meredith and Lexie didn't have the heart to tell her that it wasn't that easy. Yet, the two thought it was sweet that Morgan made Katie a get well card.

Meredith had the card in her purse. She had promised Morgan that she would give the card to Katie when she could. She had been surprised when Derek had called and told her that she could stay with him, but she had understood the reason. After thinking about it, she had decided to accept his offer and stay with him.

As Meredith stirred from her sleep, she could hear over the intercom that they had arrived in New York City. She waited patiently until the passengers were able to take off their seatbelts before grabbing her purse and carryon bag. After she had talked with Derek, it had been decided that she would stay just a few days.

After waiting several minutes, she finally managed to take her turn and headed down the aisle. She exchanged smiles with the flight attendant as she walked off the plane. Once she arrived in the airport, she texted Lexie that she had arrived safely. She would have done it in the airplane, but she didn't feel like she needed to call right away.

It seemed like days before she reached the terminal. She was surprised when she saw that Derek was waiting for her. He had a little boy with him in a stroller, who Meredith assumed to be Christopher. She gave him a smile as she walked over to them. She embraced him in a tight hug. Derek gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you so much for coming," he told her. "I know how busy you are working at the hospital all the time and taking care of Morgan. It really means a lot to me that you're here."

"It's no problem," Meredith assured him as she turned to the toddler in the stroller. She was surprised, but relieved to see that there was just a bruise on his forehead and nothing else. It made Meredith wonder about the car accident. "This must be Christopher."

Derek nodded proudly. "Yes, this is Christopher. My mom offered to baby-sit him, but I thought that you would want to meet him."

Meredith knew that there was another reason, but she didn't want to say anything in front of him. "I can see why. He's so adorable." Christopher giggled and gave her a smile. Meredith then turned to Derek. "How is Katie doing?"

Derek gave her a smile. "She's hanging in there. In fact, she is looking forward to see you, even if Morgan isn't with you. I promised her that we would stop by the hospital after you get settled in."

"That sounds perfect," Meredith replied as they headed towards the baggage claim.

After collecting Meredith's bags, they grabbed a taxi and headed to Derek's house. She was surprised that he hadn't mentioned his ex-wife yet. She then realized that he didn't want to mention it in front of his children.

When they arrived, Mark was there to greet them. He helped Meredith with her bags since Derek was carrying Christopher. They then went into the house where Derek set Christopher down on the ground. "Let me show you where you are staying before I give you the rest of the grand tour," Derek told Meredith as he headed up the stairs. Meredith and Mark were right behind him.

Derek led her to the guest bedroom and Mark brought her suitcase into the room. "You're lucky, Big Grey. You get the nice room while I sleep on the couch," Mark teased her.

"Well, I was going to let you have this room. Now I think I'll keep it," Meredith replied, playing along.

Derek just shook his head in amusement. "I'm going to check on Christopher."

As soon as he left the room, Meredith turned to Mark. "He told me about Katie, but he never mentioned about his ex-wife's condition. How is she doing?" she asked him anxiously.

Mark sighed. "She's not doing too well." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "She's in a coma." Meredith gasped in horror. Even though she didn't know the woman, she felt deeply saddened for Derek and his children. She didn't think that her condition was that serious. "And the doctors don't know if she will wake up or not."

Meredith was finally able to find her voice. "How did the accident happen?" she asked him. She meant to ask him before, but never had a chance. She knew that it would be easier asking Mark than Derek.

"Addison had some business to do down in Philadelphia and she was planning to take the kids. And she thought it would be simple just to drive down there. They were on their way back when a van hit them. You should see Addison's car. It's completely totaled. It's a miracle that Christopher didn't get hurt." There was a short pause before Mark spoke again. "I just wish I could say the same for Addison and Katie."

Meredith gave him a comforting smile. "I'm sure that they'll both be fine," she assured him. "Derek told me that Katie is already doing better."

Mark knew that she had a point. "Yeah, but she's not in a coma like her mother is."

Meredith didn't say anything as he left the room. She wished that she could do something for Derek and his family. But no ideas came to her mind as she unpacked. Even though she was a resident, she wasn't Derek's ex-wife's doctor. Therefore, she couldn't examine her. All she could do was be there for Derek, Katie and Christopher.

After unpacking a little, Derek showed her the rest of the house. The tour ended in the kitchen. Derek immediately offered to make her something to eat and she accepted his offer. As he made her her lunch, he started the conversation.

"I bet Morgan is excited to have a little cousin," Derek told Meredith.

Meredith nodded. "She is thrilled. I've never seen her so excited before. Of course, I think she would be more excited about having a brother or sister. But that's not going to happen anytime soon."

Derek smiled. "I'm sure you'll find the right guy eventually."

Meredith didn't answer for a few moments. "I thought I already had." Derek turned to her curious. "I thought I had found the one who I was going to spend the rest of my life with, but he quit on me."

"You mean Morgan's dad?" Derek asked her, hoping that he wasn't prying too much.

Meredith nodded. She was quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. She felt that it was time for Derek to know about her past relationship. "When I was in medical school, I met this guy named Finn Dandridge. We became friends, but we also had a physical attraction to each other."

"You mean you were friends with benefits?" Derek asked her.

Meredith turned red. "I'm not proud of it, but neither of us was ready for a relationship then. Once we found out that we had feelings for each other, we stopped for awhile so we could get to know each other. When it was time for me to go to Seattle Grace Hospital to start my residency, he was willing to move with me until I found out that I was pregnant."

"So what happened?" Derek asked.

Meredith let out a sigh. "I didn't know what to do. Neither of us was planning for a baby nor wanted one at that time. At first, I considered having an abortion. I wasn't ready for a baby. Neither was Finn. But I then realized that I couldn't do that to a child. So when I told Finn that, he didn't agree with me. So I decided to raise the baby by myself. And that's why her full name is Morgan Ellis Grey. I didn't think it would have been right for Morgan to have his last name." Derek nodded in agreement. "Once I've moved back to Seattle, Lexie decided to join me and help raise Morgan. I haven't heard from Finn since."

Derek shook his head in amazement. "I can't believe he just left you to raise Morgan by yourself. When I found out that I was going to be a dad, I was thrilled to death. Of course, I nearly fainted first."

Meredith laughed. "You did not," she said in disbelief.

Derek nodded. "I did."

"Well, I guess Finn wasn't ready for that type of responsibility," Meredith replied. "I know that I wasn't, but I changed my mind once she was born." She smiled to herself as she thought back to the memory. "Once the doctor put her in my arms, I knew that I couldn't let her go."

"Well, you're certainly doing a great job," Derek said. "I can see that you're a great parent."

Meredith smiled gratefully. "Thanks. So are you."

Derek smiled in return before he let out a sigh. "I might become their parent full-time if Addison doesn't come out of her coma." There was silence for a few moments before Derek spoke again. "Well, let's eat so we can get going to the hospital. I'm sure Katie is anxious for some visitors."


	5. Rise Up

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews.

**Disclaimer**: Only own the GA children

* * *

**Chapter Five**

** Rise Up**

Meredith knocked on the open door and smiled at the patient. She was relieved to see that Katie was sitting up in her bed, her right arm in a pink cast. Katie smiled back at her as Meredith walked over to her bed. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"My arm hurts," Katie replied. "Where's Daddy and Uncle Mark?"

"Your daddy is talking with your doctor," Meredith replied. "And Uncle Mark is watching your brother." She then changed the subject. "I see that you have a pink cast."

Katie nodded proudly. "Pink's my favorite color."

Meredith smiled. "It's Morgan's favorite color too. Speaking of Morgan, she made you a get a well card," she said as she pulled out the card from her purse. Katie smiled happily as Meredith showed her the two small bags that she had been carrying. "And I also have a couple of presents, one from me and Morgan and then one from your Aunt Lexie."

"Thank you," Katie replied as she started to open the first bag.

"You're welcome," Meredith said before she helped Katie open the gifts. Lexie had picked out a small jewelry box and Morgan had picked out a pair of clip on earrings for her best friend to wear.

"Daddy, look what I got," Katie told Derek as he walked into the room. She showed him her gifts.

Derek was surprised and looked at Meredith. "Wow, I was expecting teddy bears or something."

"Well, Lexie and I figured that the big presents would be from her family. So we thought that we would buy her something small," Meredith explained. "I hope the clip on earrings are ok. I didn't think that she was allowed to wear pierced ears yet."

Derek shook his head. "No, she's not. And she's not going to until at least junior high." He then changed the subject. "Great news, Dr. Torres told me that you can probably go home tomorrow."

"Really?" Katie squealed. Derek nodded. "What about Mommy?"

Derek was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I'm afraid Mommy has to stay here. She isn't quite better yet."

"Can Meredith fix her?" Katie asked suddenly.

Meredith was taken aback by that question. So was Derek. Neither were expecting that question. She smiled gently at the little girl. "I wish that I could, Katie. But I'm not your mommy's doctor." She couldn't help but feel sorry for Katie as she gave her a look that showed her how upset she was. "I'm sure that your mommy is going to be fine. She's in good hands."

The two parents could tell that Katie wasn't convinced. Derek tried to set her mind at ease. "She's right, Katie. Your mom is going to be just fine." There was a short pause before he asked, "Why don't you get some sleep? We'll be back later, ok?"

Katie nodded. "Can you tell Uncle Mark to visit too?" she asked. She knew that her little brother couldn't visit. But she wanted her Uncle Mark to come and see her.

Derek laughed. "Yeah, I promise that I'll tell Uncle Mark to stop by." He gently kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy," Katie replied before she turned to Meredith. "Bye, Meredith."

Meredith gave her a smile. "Bye, Katie," she replied. "Hope you enjoy your presents."

Katie smiled in return. "I will."

Meredith followed Derek out in the hallway. "I'm sorry about Katie. I didn't realize that she would ask that question."

He was relieved to see that Meredith wasn't bothered by it. "It's ok. I wish that I could help your ex-wife," she replied. She then noticed the worried look on Derek's face. "If you don't mind me asking, how is she doing?"

Derek let out a sigh. "She's the same. There hasn't been any change. And the doctors don't know if there will be." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "But I don't want to lose hope, especially for Katie and Christopher. They need their mom."

"Everything will be ok," Meredith assured him. She didn't want to get his hopes up. Yet, she didn't want to crush them either. "Even if Addison doesn't wake up, I'm sure you can raise these kids on your own. You already have for the last couple of years."

Derek knew that she had a point. "Yes, but this would be full-time. I've never taken care of the kids alone more than a few days at a time. It's easy for you. You just have Morgan. I have Katie _and_ Christopher."

Meredith raised her eyebrows. "May I remind you that I work all around the clock? I never know what my schedule is. And I sometimes get paged in the middle of the night. Morgan sees more of her Aunt Lexie than me." She then let out a sigh. "Of course, I had to find another baby-sitter now that Lexie moved in with Mark."

Derek finally managed a smile. "Yeah, I heard that they were going to have a baby. Are you excited to finally be an aunt?"

Meredith returned the smile. "Yeah, but Morgan's more excited. She has wanted a little cousin for so long."

"I'm sure it's tough for her, being an only child," Derek said.

Meredith nodded. "It is, but it does make it easier to go on vacations. And there's more money for a college fund."

"Are you going to let her go to a university out of state?" Derek asked her as they reached the front desk. They were so busy talking that they didn't even noticed. "Because that's what most college students do these days. No offense, but they really want to get away from their parents. At least, that's what my students are telling me."

Meredith groaned. "I don't even want to think about that yet. I just want her to get through grade school before we start talking about colleges and universities. After all, she's only in preschool."

Derek knew she had a point. "You have to be careful though. Those years go by pretty fast."

Meredith let out a sigh this time. "Yeah, I know." There was a short pause before she spoke. "But I enjoy every minute of it," she said as she gave him a smile.

Derek smiled in return. "Me too."

The next morning, Meredith stayed at the house with Mark and Christopher while Derek went to pick up Katie from the hospital. By then, Christopher was getting used to having Meredith around. However, he still wanted to play with his Uncle Mark first. That was fine with her. She just happily watched Mark play with the young toddler.

"You are definitely going to be an expert once your own kid comes," Meredith told Mark.

Mark laughed. "I certainly hope so."

Meredith gave him a wide smile. "I know it. You've helped raise Katie and Christopher. Lexie helped me raise Morgan. Between the two of you, my niece or nephew will be raised well."

Mark knew that she had a point. He returned the smile as he responded. "Thanks, Big Grey."

Just then, the front door opened and Christopher rushed to his sister. Mark and Meredith were right behind him. They all took turns embracing Katie in a gentle hug as Mark helped Derek get the gifts out of the car.

"Wow, you have a lot of gifts. Are you sure you didn't rob a toy store?" Mark teased Katie.

Katie just giggled. "Uncle Mark, you're so silly."

"Why don't you go lay down on the couch in the other room?" Derek suggested. "You can watch some television. And someone will bring you a special treat, ok?" he asked. Katie nodded. Meredith then followed him into the kitchen and helped him with the special treat, which was ice cream that they had bought the night before.

"I wish that you weren't leaving tomorrow morning," Derek told Meredith as she scooped out some ice cream. "You've really helped kept my spirits up. And you really cheered Katie up by coming."

"I really think it was the presents," Meredith joked.

Derek laughed. "Well, that was part of it. But I think that she was really glad to see you too."

Meredith knew that he was right. She gave him a smile. "Well, I do wish that I could stay longer," she admitted. "But I have to get back to Morgan. And the hospital needs me."

Derek nodded understandingly. "I know."

Meredith knew why Derek was worried. He still wasn't confident about being a full-time parent. "You'll be fine, Derek."

"How do you do it?" he asked her.

Meredith gave him another wide smile. "I take it one day at a time," she replied.


	6. Life During Wartime

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews

**Disclaimer**: Only own the GA children

* * *

**Chapter Six**

** Life During Wartime**

It was too soon that Meredith was back in Seattle with Lexie and Morgan. Mark stayed in New York a little longer before Derek sent him home. He knew how important it was to stay by his pregnant wife. Meredith was glad when Mark did return since Lexie had depended on her.

As the days slowly passed, Addison's condition didn't change. Everyone was relieved. However, Derek started to become more and more anxious to move out of New York. Yet, he didn't tell his family that because of Katie and Christopher. But his mother knew better. She knew that it was because of Addison. She didn't think that he shouldn't put his life on hold just because he was waiting for Addison to come out of her coma. Derek knew that she was right.

Once Meredith found out that Derek was planning to move to Seattle, she immediately offered to let him and the children to stay with her and Morgan for awhile. She thought it would give them the perfect chance to really to get know each other. And Morgan would have a friend to play with. After he had thought about it, he had accepted her gracious offer.

On that afternoon, Meredith brought Morgan along to the airport. Derek was bringing the children with him. They would stay with Meredith while he would deal with the moving stuff. He had already turned his two week notice in and put his house up for sale.

"Mommy, I don't see them," Morgan told her mother sadly.

"They'll be here. Just keep looking," Meredith replied gently before she turned back to reading her book. She could see that her daughter was anxious to see her friend again. She couldn't blame her. She was excited herself. Yet, she tried not to show it. Meredith was barely reading when her daughter squealed with excitement. "I see them," she exclaimed as she pointed through the terminal.

Meredith followed where she was pointing at and smiled when she saw that it was indeed the Shepherd family. They waved at them and Katie eagerly waved back before the two little girls ran to each other. Their parents were about to protest when they decided to let them go. Katie and Morgan reached each other and gently embraced each other in a hug since Katie was still wearing the cast.

Derek and Meredith soon caught up with their daughters and exchanged greetings with each other. After getting the suitcases, they headed towards the parking lot to Meredith's car. "Why don't we get something to eat first?" Meredith suggested as she unlocked the trunk. "I'm sure you guys are starving."

"Can we go to McDonald's?" Katie asked hopefully.

Derek gave his daughter a look. "You just want to play in the playground, don't you?" he asked her. Katie shook her head, trying not to smile. But she couldn't help it. Derek returned her smile before turning back to Meredith. "Do you mind if we go there? Or do you prefer another place? After all, we went there the last time we were here."

Meredith knew that he had a point. They did stop by McDonald's the last time that they were in town. "Why don't we let Morgan pick this time? Morgan, where do you want to eat?" she asked her daughter.

Before Morgan could respond, a beeping noise was heard. Meredith sighed. "I'm sorry. It's my pager. It looks like I'm going to have to drop you guys at the house." She could see that Morgan was disappointed. She hated seeing that face. "I'm sorry, sweetie. But Mommy has to work." She then turned to Derek. "I'm sorry."

Derek nodded understandingly. "It's ok. We'll just find something to eat at your house." He turned to his daughter. "Isn't that right, Katie?" he asked her. She nodded as he turned back to Meredith. "See, you don't have to worry about us. Or Morgan. I'll take good care of her for you."

Meredith knew that she could trust him with her daughter. She just nodded in agreement as they climbed into the car. When they arrived at the house, they quickly pulled out the suitcases from the trunk before waving good-bye to Meredith as she drove off.

Once she arrived at the hospital, she saw that it was a chaotic scene. She didn't even ask what had happened. She just started helping Cristina and Alex with patients. They both gave her glares. She knew that they were mad at her for being late. She just ignored them and concentrated on her work.

When things finally settled down, Cristina demanded an explanation from her friend. "What the hell took you so long?" she asked her. "Alex and I had to handle everything ourselves."

Meredith tried to calm her down. "I'm sorry. I was at the airport with Morgan to pick up the Shepherd family," she reminded her. She had told her before, but she knew that her friend must have forgotten. "They are going to stay with us while Derek searches for a house."

"That was today?" Cristina asked her. Meredith nodded. "So when do I meet him?" she asked her.

Meredith tried not to laugh. "Cristina, he just got here a few hours ago. What's your hurry anyway?"

"She wants to meet your boyfriend," Alex teased her as he came up to them. "And so do I."

Meredith knew that that subject was going to be brought up. "He's not my boyfriend," she protested. "He's just my friend. Besides, I'm not ready for a relationship."

Alex gave her a look. "You've been saying that for four years. I think your excuse has expired by now."

"If you had a child, you would understand," Meredith replied as she started walking away from them. "But you don't. So please get off my case about dating."

"If I had a child, I would have started dating by now," Alex called after her.

A short while later, Meredith returned home and was happily greeted by Morgan and the Shepherd family. She gave them a warm smile as she embraced her daughter in a hug. Derek then sent the children back to play. Meredith was grateful since she was exhausted. She followed him into the kitchen.

"I know I'm the guest, but can I get you anything?" Derek asked her.

Meredith gave him a grateful smile. "No, I'm fine," she replied. "I hope you've been settling in well."

Derek nodded. "Yeah, Morgan has been a great hostess. And I can't thank you enough for letting us stay here. I promise that it will be just temporary."

Meredith gave him a smile. "You, Katie and Christopher can stay as long as you like. Or need to. I know it won't be easy looking for a house. I was lucky that this house was still available. I used to grow up here in this very house."

Derek returned the smile. "Let me guess, Morgan has your old room?" he asked.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, she thinks it's so cool to have my old bedroom." She then changed the subject. "So how does Katie feel about moving to Seattle?" she asked him. She knew Christopher was too young to understand what was going on, but Katie was a little older.

"Katie loves the idea of moving near Morgan. Yet, she hates leaving her mom. But she knows that the doctors are taking good care of her. And they are doing everything that they can to help her get well," Derek replied. "I'm just glad that her condition hasn't changed."

Meredith nodded in agreement. She then thought for a moment. "You know, I don't think you've had a chance to see Seattle yet. Or at least, I know that Katie and Christopher haven't. Why don't Morgan and I show the Shepherd family Seattle tomorrow?"

Derek smiled in return. "We'd love that. Especially the kids. They have never seen Seattle before. We didn't really have a chance to see the city when we were here for Mark and Lexie's wedding."

"Well, you can now," Meredith replied. "And Morgan and I would be happy to be your tour guides." They then heard some giggling. Meredith and Derek exchanged smiles. "What is that noise?" Meredith asked him.

"I don't know," he replied, playing along. "It sounds like giggling, but we're not laughing."

The two parents heard another pair of giggles. "I think we're being spied on," Meredith told Derek. "But it can't be because Morgan knows better."

Derek nodded. "So does Katie."

"We're sorry, Daddy," Katie replied as she and Morgan poked their heads in the room. "We won't do it again."

Derek gestured them to come into the room. Katie and Morgan exchanged scared looks as they walked into the kitchen. "Don't worry. You guys aren't in trouble. We just want to tell you our plans for tomorrow."

"Katie, how would you like to see Seattle tomorrow?" Meredith asked her. Katie gave her a wide smile. "Well, it sounds like we have a plan then."

The next day, Meredith and Morgan showed the Shepherd family their favorite places in Seattle. Nobody was surprised that Katie's favorite sight to see was the Space Needle. Meredith also showed them Seattle Grace Hospital before they went home.

Once they arrived home, Morgan grabbed her soccer ball and the two little girls went to kick it around in the yard. Little Christopher was right there with them. Derek and Meredith sat down on the front porch and watched them fondly.

"Is it just me or is Katie good at soccer?" Meredith asked Derek as she watched Katie kick the ball past Morgan into the goal.

Derek gave her a proud smile. "She was taught well," he replied. "With all of her cousins around, there are plenty of sports to play. She loves playing soccer, but we're both big on baseball."

Meredith raised her eyebrows. "Really? Then maybe you should come and join our baseball team." Derek turned to her confused. "My coworkers and I sometimes play baseball in the park. You and the children are welcomed to join us."

Derek gave her a smile. "That sounds like fun," he replied. "We'll definitely have to check it out sometime."

They exchanged smiles as they heard a small voice. "Mommy, come play with us," Morgan called.

Meredith was about to respond when Derek spoke up instead. "Want to make it a Grey vs. Shepherd game?" he challenged her.

Meredith gave him a look. "That's not fair. It's two against three." She then gave him a smile. "Morgan and I accept your challenge, Derek Shepherd." They then raced across the yard to play with their children.


	7. Trick or Treat

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews.

**Disclaimer**: Only own the GA children

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

** Trick or Treat**

After the Shepherd family moved in, everyone knew that Meredith was staying in Seattle to complete her fellowship. Her friends were even more convinced after meeting Derek and his children. However, she didn't want to admit it. She didn't think it was anyone else's business but hers. She wanted to tell them when she was ready. Nobody was surprised when she finally did admit that she was staying in Seattle.

She was disappointed when she found out that both Cristina and Alex were planning to complete their fellowships at different hospitals. Cristina and Owen were going to move to Minnesota so that Cristina could work at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. And Alex was going to go to John Hopkins. She hated that they were going to be split up, but she knew that it would happen sooner or later.

To get her mind off her friends leaving, she focused on helping Derek and the children adjust to living in her house. Morgan eagerly helped her when she could. After Derek found another teaching job, he immediately enrolled Katie in the same school that Morgan was going to attend in a few weeks. And Christopher was signed up for daycare. Derek and Meredith then worked together to figure out who would take care of the kids when they weren't working.

It wasn't long before it was time to go back to school. Katie and Morgan were thrilled to be in the same class. Meredith was happy for the children, but was also sad since her friends had left Seattle. She had to deal with the new interns by herself. She knew that she had to be tough and showed no mercy. It was easy since she was taught by the best. Dr. Bailey had been strict with her and knew that her way would work.

"Well, it's official. Mark and I are going to have a little boy," Lexie announced to Meredith, Derek and the children. She and Mark had invited the five over for dinner so that they could tell them about the sex of the baby. The children were eating in front of the television while the four adults were sitting at the kitchen table.

Before Meredith or Derek could respond, Mark spoke up first. "And we have another surprise for you two. We want you two to be godparents to our son."

"Well, I don't know about Derek, but I would love to be my nephew's godmother," Meredith replied.

Derek nodded in agreement. "I'm honored too and would be happy to accept." Mark and Lexie exchanged smiles. "So have you picked out a name for our godson?" he asked them curiously.

"We've been tossing names around, but we haven't agreed on anything yet," Lexie replied.

Meredith nodded understandingly. "Do you remember that it took us forever to come up with the name Morgan?" she asked her sister.

"I wanted the name Mackenzie, but Meredith didn't think it fit well with Grey," Lexie told Mark and Derek.

"Not to mention that I was the mother. I should have the final say in what I name my daughter," Meredith reminded her. "Just like you and Mark will have the final say in naming your son."

Mark gave his wife a look. "We're _not_ naming him Mackenzie," he said firmly. "He will be teased for life."

Lexie gave him a smile. "I wasn't even planning on it." She then changed the subject. "So are you guys adjusting well to each other since the move?" she asked them as she watched Katie and Morgan, who were sitting together on the floor watching cartoons. "I can see that those two are getting along great."

Derek and Meredith exchanged looks. "Well, it was certainly an adjustment. After all, the children and I aren't used to this much space. Our house in New York was nice, but I don't think it's as big as Meredith's house."

Meredith smiled at the compliment. "Thanks, but I don't think it's that big. I think it just seems that it's big because of all of the extra rooms."

Nobody had a chance to respond when Katie and Morgan came into the room. Morgan walked over to her mother. "Mommy, will you have to work on Halloween again?" she asked her.

Meredith shook her head. "No, Mommy made sure that she wasn't on the schedule for Halloween," she replied and Morgan jumped for joy. She quickly hugged her mother before she and Katie headed back to their cartoons. Meredith let out a sigh. "Sometimes, I really hate working. Last year, we barely got started before I was paged to the hospital. She had to do the route with Lexie."

"We had fun, but she still wished that she could have done it with Meredith," Lexie added.

"We're going to search for a costume tomorrow if you want to come with us," Meredith told Derek. "Morgan wants to be Princess Aurora, complete with a crown."

Derek gave her a smile. "Yeah, that sounds like fun. I have to find a costume for Christopher anyway. Any idea what he should be? Katie wants to be Ariel. But Christopher doesn't seem to understand about Halloween costumes."

"Why not Woody or Buzz?" Meredith suggested. "After all, he loves _Toy Story_." She had remembered that during one conversation about their children.

Derek nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that will definitely work. I don't know why I didn't think of it before."

Meredith smiled in return. "You're welcome. I'm always happy to help."

On Halloween morning, Morgan was bursting with energy. She couldn't sit still because she was so excited. Meredith tried to calm her down, but her daughter was just too excited. So was Katie. Their preschool class was doing some special things since it was Halloween including dressing up in their costumes. Meredith was able to help out with all the activities while Derek couldn't. Morgan and Katie were disappointed. However, Meredith reminded them that they were going trick-or-treating together that evening. That cheered the girls right up.

Since Meredith was able to help out, the plans changed just a little from their usual routine. Meredith would be the one who would pick up Morgan, Katie and Christopher. Derek would meet them at the house when he was done with work. Meredith agreed and the girls insisted on leaving their costumes on, even after they arrived back at the house.

Meredith sighed. "Honey, we're eating Sloppy Joes tonight. I really don't want to risk you making a mess all over your new costumes."

The girls moaned until Meredith finally gave in. However, there were specific instructions. "I want you two to sit as close as you can to the table and napkins will be in your lap." Morgan and Katie nodded. They then went to watch television as Meredith went in the other room.

After awhile, Meredith started dinner just as she and the girls heard the doorbell. Meredith went to the door and saw that Derek had arrived. Morgan and Katie then came in the room. Katie went to her dad and gave him a big hug. Christopher did the same. He then lifted them up and gave Meredith a confused look. "I thought we were eating Sloppy Joes tonight," he said.

Meredith nodded. "We are. These two have refused to take their costumes off, even if it is just for a few minutes while they eat."

"I see. Well, I guess you can if you're careful," Derek said.

"We will. We promise," Katie replied before Derek gave her a kiss and put her down. The girls ran off again while Meredith led Derek to the kitchen. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"You could finish dinner while I go to the bathroom," Meredith replied. Derek smiled and nodded in agreement. Time then went fast as Derek helped the girls set the table before they ate at the table. As instructed, Katie and Morgan moved as close as they could to the table and put napkins in their laps. Surprisingly, the girls didn't spill on their costumes.

"Can we go now?" Katie asked anxiously. Derek and Meredith could see that the girls were eager to get going.

"Let me and Derek clean up first and put your costume on your brother," Meredith gently replied. Derek had decided on the Woody costume and Christopher loved the costume. "Why don't you girls go get your shoes and coats on? Don't forget to make sure you have your buckets." As soon as she said that, the girls had dashed off.

"They sure can move, can't they?" Derek said. Meredith had to agree. A few minutes later, the five of them were off. To Meredith's surprise, Christopher didn't seem scared at all by the other kids in costumes. She then reminded herself that he was used to be around groups of children because of his cousins.

As they went through the neighborhood, Derek and Meredith started chatting again while keeping an eye on their children, who were ahead of them. "This is nice. I haven't been able to take Katie and Christopher out for trick-or-treating for a few years now."

Meredith nodded understandingly. "Well, I never cared much for holidays. Once Morgan was born, that all changed. I always do my best to try to make the holidays special for her, especially since it's just the two of us."

"You're doing a great job," Derek replied. "Morgan looks like she enjoys the holidays, especially today."

Meredith smiled in return. "Well, Halloween and Christmas are her favorite holidays. She can never seem to decide which one's best."

Derek nodded. She didn't have a chance to say anything as the girls and Christopher came running back to them. They showed their buckets to their parents. "Mommy, look at all the candy we got," Morgan exclaimed happily.

Meredith looked down into the bucket. She couldn't tell how many different kinds of candy that her daughter had in the bucket. "Do you think it's time for us to head back to the house then?" she asked Morgan and Katie.

Morgan shook her head. "No, we want Uncle Richard and Aunt Miranda to see our costumes," she told her.

"Well, I suppose we can stop by the hospital and see them," Meredith replied. "I'm sure that they would be thrilled to see your costumes. And we might as well stop by Aunt Lexie's and Uncle Mark's apartment too." The girls nodded happily as Meredith turned to Derek. "Is that ok with you?" she asked him. Derek nodded. "Great. Let's go then." Morgan, Katie and Christopher led the way home.


	8. The First Cut is the Deepest

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews

**Disclaimer**: Only own GA children

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

** The First Cut is the Deepest**

"So what is the Shepherd family planning to do for Thanksgiving?" Meredith asked Derek one evening as they sat down to grade his students' papers. It was only a few days after Halloween. "Or is it too early to ask that?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it," Derek replied. "I'm sure my mother would love us to come back for Thanksgiving, but I'm leaning towards Christmas. That is always much more fun for Katie and Christopher with their cousins."

Meredith nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I can see why with a big family like yours. Although, I'm surprised that I didn't meet more of your family while I was in New York. I would have thought that they would be around more because of Katie."

Derek knew that she had a point. "Well, they are very busy with their own lives. And they probably visited when you weren't around. Besides, I didn't think that you would want to meet my big crazy family."

Meredith gave him a confused look. "I never said that. You're putting words in my mouth, Derek Shepherd," she said. "Just because I don't have a big family like yours doesn't mean that I wouldn't mind being around them. I'm around strangers every day. I think I can handle your family."

Derek raised his eyebrows. "Well, we can certainly find out if you and Morgan join us in New York for the Christmas holidays. The city is the best at Christmastime. You should see Rockefeller Center all lit up."

"It does sound nice," Meredith admitted. "But Morgan and I always love our nice quiet Christmas at home. Besides, I've tried that last year and it didn't work. Lexie and I were planning to take Morgan to Disneyland for Christmas, but she was terrified that Santa wouldn't know where she was."

Derek nodded understandingly. "Yeah, that could be a problem." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "You know, we don't have to decide the trip right now. After all, we have Thanksgiving to get through first."

Meredith knew that he had a point. "So are you going to join us for Thanksgiving or not?"

Derek gave her a smile. "We'd love to," he replied. "Would Mark and Lexie be joining us as well?"

Meredith shook her head. "They have already made plans to spend Thanksgiving with their friends." She had been disappointed when her sister had told her the news, but Lexie had promised that they would be around for the Christmas holidays. "So it will be just the five of us. Or six if you count Prince."

"Thanks to Prince, Katie now wants a pet," Derek told her. Meredith looked at him surprised. "I told her that it probably won't happen until we find our own place. After all, this is your house, not ours."

Meredith gave him a look. "It's your house too. I told you that. So if Katie wants a pet, you can get her a pet. What kind of a pet that she wants? Because I can handle a puppy or kitten peeing on my carpets. Prince has done it often enough."

Derek looked at her amazed. "Are you sure you want to go through all that again?" he asked her.

Meredith nodded. "It's all part of the experience of taking of a pet. I'm sure the real challenge is when you move out with the kids and have to take care of them alone."

Derek knew that she had a point. "Now you're making me not want to move out," he teased her. "I don't know if I can handle taking care of my kids without you. Or a puppy."

Meredith laughed. "Well, you don't have to get Katie a puppy if you don't want to. After all, it is a huge responsibility to take care of a pet."

Derek gave her a look. "Thank you for that info, but I knew that already. I had a few pets myself when I was growing up."

Meredith raised her eyebrows. "Really? I would have thought raising your sisters was busy enough."

Derek laughed this time. "It was, but that didn't mean I couldn't take care of a pet as well. It was a family effort." He then let out a sigh as he looked at the ungraded papers before him. "It looks like we're not getting anything accomplished. So we might as well call it a night."

"I'm sorry. It's my fault. I was the one who started the conversation. We can go back to grading papers," Meredith said.

Derek gave her a wide smile. "Don't apologize. I love your company," he replied. "Not to mention your help." He then thought for a moment. "You know, you've been so kind to me that I would like to repay you somehow."

Meredith returned the smile. "That's not necessary. I'm happy to do this for you and the children."

"Still, I would like to do something for you," Derek insisted. He then thought for a moment before speaking again. "Why don't we go out for drinks sometime?" he asked her. Meredith was about to protest when he stopped her. "It will be my treat."

Meredith let out a sigh before answering. "Alright, you win. And I know the perfect bar that we can go to."

* * *

"What the hell was I thinking?" Meredith asked Cristina over the phone the next morning as she walked through the halls of the hospital. She hadn't been bothered by the thought of her having drinks with Derek until she started talking to Cristina. "How can I go out for drinks with Derek without making it into a date?"

"_Don't sleep with him,"_ Cristina suggested.

Meredith wasn't surprised when she heard that answer. However, she wasn't amused. "Cristina, I'm serious."

"_Why are you getting so uptight about this?"_ Cristina asked her. _"It's just drinks, isn't it?" _Meredith hesitated for a second too long as her best friend realized the truth. "Oh my god! _You __**like**__ him!"_ She was about to deny it, but Cristina didn't let her. _"Come on, Meredith. Don't you think I don't know you by now?"_

Meredith didn't want to admit it, but she had a point. "Ok, I like him more than just a friend," she confessed. "But we can't be anything more than that."

"_Why not? Your kids get along great,"_ Cristina replied. _"What the hell is the problem?"_

Meredith was quiet for a moment before answering. "Because I think Derek is still in love with his ex-wife."

"_Well, she was his wife and the mother of his children,"_ Cristina pointed out.

"She still is," Meredith reminded her. "She just can't take care of them right now." She then saw that patients were being brought into the pit. "I got to go. I'll call you later," she said before she hung up and hurried over to the chaotic scene.

After she was done with those patients, she was able to catch a breather for a moment before she went back to work. After a long day, she was exhausted and ready to go home. As she walked outside to her car, she was surprised to see that Derek was waiting for her. "What are you doing here? Where are the kids?"

"I promise to buy you a drink, remember?" Derek gently reminded her. Meredith did, but she didn't realize it would be so soon after their conversation. "And don't worry about the kids. Mark and Lexie are taking care of them."

"I see. Well, I guess I am in the mood for one drink. The bar is right across from the hospital," she told him. She gestured him to follow her and they started walking across the parking lot. "How was your day?"

"I'm sure it wasn't as interesting as yours, but it was still fun," Derek replied. "However, the students are really struggling to concentrate since the end of the year is coming up. And that's the time for them to concentrate the most."

Meredith gave him a look. "You think you have it rough? My interns are so inexperienced that they drive me crazy with their mistakes and incompetence to follow simple instructions."

"Give them a break. They are young and still learning on how to do things your way," Derek said. "I'm sure you messed up with Dr. Bailey your first year?"

Meredith didn't want to admit it, but she knew that he was right. She didn't say anything more as they arrived at the bar. He opened the door for her before he followed her. Meredith led the way up to the counter. She and Joe exchanged greetings before she introduced Joe and Derek. "I'll take my usual," Meredith told Joe after she was done. Butterflies started to appear in her stomach, but she tried not to show it.

Joe nodded as Derek spoke. "I'll have whatever she is having," he said as he exchanged smiles with her. Meredith's nerves soon disappeared as Derek started the conversation back up again. They were enjoying each other's company so much that they didn't want the night to end. After a few hours, they finally admitted that it was time to leave. Derek was about to pay when Joe shook his head.

"Joe, let him pay this time," Meredith told him. She didn't want to stay all night in the bar arguing about it. As soon as they were out of the bar, she immediately apologized. "I'm sorry about that. Since I'm a regular, Joe doesn't feel that I need to pay him anymore."

Derek gave her a reassuring smile. "It's ok. I understand." He then changed the subject. "I had a nice time tonight. I haven't had been out without the kids in a long time. I never had time to do it."

Meredith smiled in return. "Yeah, it was nice," she admitted. "We should do it more often."

"Why don't we tomorrow night?" Derek said. "And you can pay for it this time?"

Meredith laughed. "It's a deal."


	9. Wish Upon a Star

**Disclaimer**: Only own GA children

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

** Wish Upon a Star**

The month passed quickly. Meredith and Derek continued to have their drinking dates. They came in together so often that Joe started to think that they were really dating. However, Meredith had to correct him and tell him that they were just friends.

Soon, it was Thanksgiving. It was a quiet affair. Derek helped Meredith with the cooking while the children played together. When it came time to eat, Morgan and Katie set the table. After everyone sat down, Derek then did the honors of carving the turkey.

"Thank you for helping me cook," Meredith told Derek as they cleaned up the dishes from the table. "Lexie was always the one who prepared the food."

Derek gave her a smile. "It was no problem. I was happy to help. Especially since I am usually banned from the kitchen." Meredith gave him a confused look. "At my mother's house, my mom and my sisters do the cooking. But the husbands are supposed to stay out of the kitchen. I guess they didn't want anybody in their way."

"Aunt Cristina doesn't like anybody in her way either," a voice piped up. The two parents turned to see Morgan standing in the hallway.

"You know, it's not nice to spy," Derek told her. "You wouldn't want Santa to find out and not give you any presents, do you?" Morgan shook her head. "Ok, now what do you need?"

"Katie's crying," Morgan told him. "I think she misses her mommy."

"I'll go check up on her," Derek said and left the room.

Meredith then looked at her daughter. "Want to help me dry the dishes?" she asked her as they walked into the kitchen. Morgan nodded eagerly. "Alright then. Grab a towel," she instructed. Morgan pulled one out from the drawer.

"Mommy, can I get a Daddy for Christmas?" Morgan asked her.

Meredith was surprised at her daughter's unusual request. "Honey, I'm not sure that Santa can grant that request."

"Why not?" Morgan asked. "I thought Santa could grant any wish."

Meredith gave her a smile. "Of course he can. It's just that some wishes are harder to grant than others. After all, Santa is used to children asking for toys."

"I know, but is it ok if I ask him anyway?" Morgan asked her.

Meredith nodded. "Yes, it's fine, but don't be disappointed if he can't grant you your wish."

"I won't," Morgan promised as they heard footsteps. Derek walked into the kitchen. "Is Katie ok?" she asked, concerned about her best friend.

Derek nodded. "Yeah, she is. She just needs some space right now. But I think she'll be better tomorrow when we decorate the house." Meredith gave him a confused look. "Don't tell me that you don't decorate the house."

"We do. We just don't start on the day after Thanksgiving," Meredith told him.

"That's because you always have to work," Morgan told her. "And Aunt Lexie has to help me decorate. But she's with Uncle Mark now."

Derek gave her a comforting smile. "Well, I guess that means I have to substitute. I can decorate a house pretty well. Plus I'm tall," he pointed out.

Morgan smiled in return. "Can we start tonight?"

Meredith and Derek laughed. "Honey, those boxes are in the attic. I'm not in the mood to bring them down tonight. We'll start decorating tomorrow. I promise," Meredith told her daughter gently.

"What about their Christmas stuff?" Morgan asked as she pointed to Derek.

Derek laughed. "Those are all in the attic too, remember?" he asked her. Morgan was disappointed. "Katie insisted on keeping all the Christmas stuff. So your mom made some room for our boxes when she got rid of some of her stuff." Morgan nodded, now remembering. "Why don't you see if Katie wants to play now?" he suggested. Morgan dashed off. Derek just shook his head in amusement. "Why is she so anxious to get the decorations out?" he asked Meredith.

"Because she thinks Christmas will come faster if we get in the Christmas spirit early," Meredith replied. "Don't be surprised if she starts singing Christmas songs tomorrow morning."

Derek gave her a smile. "Thanks for the warning." He then changed the subject. "So what do you want for Christmas?"

Meredith shrugged. "You don't have to get me anything. I never want anything. For me, Christmas is all about making Morgan happy." She then let out a sigh. "But I don't know if I can give her her wish this year."

"And what wish is that?" Derek asked her.

"Morgan wants a Daddy," Meredith replied. "I would love to give that to her. She deserves to have that father figure around, but that is something that I can't go out to the toy store and buy for her." Derek nodded understandingly. She then gave him a smile. "I have to admit though, you seem to be doing great with that job. Morgan adores you."

Derek smiled in return. "Well, it helps that I'm already a father. And I adore her too." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "And I adore her mother." Meredith was surprised by that statement. "In fact, I adore her mother so much that I would love to take her out on a real date."

Meredith turned to him with raised eyebrows. "Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked him.

"Yes, I am," Derek admitted. "Don't get me wrong. I enjoy our time at Joe's, but I want to go to the next step and possibly start a relationship with you." Before Meredith could protest, he continued. "I know that you'll need some time to think about it, but don't take too long. I just might move on with someone else."

Meredith raised her eyebrows. "Do you have someone in mind?" she asked curiously.

"No, not yet. But I'm sure there are plenty of women who want to go out with me," Derek teased her. "All I need to do is look."

Meredith gave him a smile. "Well, I don't blame them. You are very attractive," she commented.

Derek smiled at the compliment. "Thanks. What about you? I'm sure men would love to date you."

Meredith knew that was true. "Yeah, I'm sure there would be until I chase them away with my sad story of being a single mom."

"I didn't," Derek pointed out. "Of course, that's probably because I'm also a single parent."

There was an awkward silence before Meredith spoke again. "I'm going to take Prince out," she said before she left the kitchen. She couldn't believe that Derek just asked her out on a real date. She didn't know if she could. She knew that she needed advice. She waited until she was outside before she called up Cristina and waited impatiently until she was able to answer the phone. However, there was no answer. Meredith groaned quietly to herself. She kept trying for a little longer before she finally gave up. She decided to try again sometime the next day.

The next morning, both parents got up early to start getting the boxes down from the attic. Meredith looked around at the boxes. "You know, I didn't realize how much junk I had up here until you moved in. So I thank you for helping me clean out my attic."

Derek laughed. "You're welcome. I'm always happy to help." He then changed the subject. "So when do you want to put the tree up?"

Meredith gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" she asked him. "We usually get our tree after Black Friday. You know how busy today can be."

"Actually, I was talking about my tree that I brought from New York," Derek told her. "I thought it would be nice if we put that up instead of getting a real tree. That is if you don't mind."

Meredith shook her head. "No, I guess not. I didn't really think about that. Yeah, we can use yours this year. It will save me a trip to the tree lot to get one."

"Are you sure?" Derek asked. She nodded. "Well, that's settled then." They then looked for that box and made sure that it was in the Christmas pile before they went any further. They then brought the rest of the boxes down. "Now where shall we start first?"

"We should start by seeing if the girls want to help," Meredith replied. Derek nodded in agreement. Soon, the five of them were going around and decorating the rooms. They were having so much fun that they almost didn't hear the doorbell ringing.

The children ran to answer it and Morgan was happy to see that was her Aunt Cristina and Uncle Owen. She embraced them in a big hug as Katie and Christopher looked on shyly. However, Katie politely said 'hi' as they walked into the foyer.

Meredith and Derek exchanged greetings with them. "Hey, what are you doing here? I didn't think you were coming back for Thanksgiving," Meredith told Cristina confused.

"Well, we were both homesick so we thought that we could surprise everyone by flying back for the weekend," Owen told her. "We would have come yesterday, but we didn't want to interrupt your Thanksgiving dinner." He then looked around at the open boxes of Christmas decorations. "Are we interrupting anything now?"

"No, we were just decorating the house. But I think we can take a break for right now," Meredith said as she turned to Derek. He nodded in agreement. "Come on in. Can I get you two anything?" she asked them. After they told her their requests, Meredith nodded in acknowledgement. "Cristina, why don't you help me in the kitchen?" she asked. Cristina could tell that she wanted to talk to her alone. She followed her into the kitchen. Before she could ask, Meredith immediately spoke up. "Derek asked me out on a real date."

"What did you say?" Cristina asked anxiously.

"I told him that I had to think about it," Meredith replied. Cristina gave her a look. "I don't know if I'm ready for that step yet."

"You two are already living together. So you're already going out of order of the steps," Cristina pointed out.

"So you're saying that I should go out with him?" Meredith asked her.

"Who wouldn't? He's McYummy," Cristina replied as she tried the name out. She then shook her head. "No, that doesn't sound right."

"What are you doing?" Meredith asked her.

"I'm giving him a nickname. Your brother-in-law is McSteamy. Why not name your new roommate?" Cristina replied.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "If he is anything, he is McDreamy," she replied. She then thought for a moment. "I suppose one date wouldn't hurt. It's not like we're going to want to continue to date after that."

Cristina raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't bet on that."


	10. Let It Snow

**A/N**: Sorry for the very long delay. I was gone for the holidays and then I was sick. Now that I've watched a couple of new GA's episodes, it inspired me to write again.

**Disclaimer**: Only own the GA children

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

** Let It Snow**

Meredith looked at herself in the mirror before she turned to her sister. She gave her an annoyed look when she saw that Lexie wasn't paying attention. Instead, she was staring down at her list of baby names. She called out her name, but it had no effect. She tried again, but Lexie still didn't look up. She went over and grabbed the list from her. Lexie finally looked up, now annoyed with her. "Lexie, how can you help me pick out the right outfit for my date when you're working on your baby list?" she exclaimed exasperated.

"Because Mark and I still don't have a name for our son," Lexie replied as she took the list back from her sister.

"Well, you still have four months before you have to decide. I only have a couple of hours," Meredith pointed out.

"I've tried telling you suggestions, but you keep throwing them down," Lexie reminded her. "So don't blame me if you can't find anything to wear."

"Why aren't you discussing names with Mark? After all, he is your husband, not to mention the father of your baby."

"Because Mark and I can't agree on the name," Lexie replied. "So I thought if you sided with me, then he would give in."

Meredith gave her a look. "I'm not getting in the middle between you and Mark. As much as I would love to help you name my nephew, you and Mark will have to work this out yourselves. After all, you two are having the baby."

Lexie corrected her. "No, I'm having the baby. Mark just has to stand there and hold my hand while I push our son out," she replied. She quickly stopped herself as Morgan walked into the bedroom. Lexie gave her a big wide smile. "Hey, do you want to help pick out a name for you cousin?" she asked hopefully. Morgan shook her head. "Why not?"

"Because he's a boy," Morgan replied. Her mother and aunt couldn't help laughing. Morgan then turned to Meredith, who was rummaging through her clothes. "Mommy, what are you doing?" she asked her curiously.

Meredith stopped for a moment as she tried to think of what to say. "I'm getting ready to go out tonight. So your Aunt Lexie is going to watch you, Katie and Christopher. Is that ok?"

"What about Derek?" Morgan asked.

"He has plans to hang out with Uncle Mark tonight," Meredith replied as Lexie frowned. Meredith ignored it as she focused on Morgan. "Now do you have any suggestions on what I should wear tonight?"

Morgan thought for a moment before speaking. "I think you should wear your red sweater with the sparkles."

Lexie was confused and waited until Morgan left the room to confront her sister. "What was that all about? Does Morgan not know about you having dates with Derek?" she asked her.

"No, I haven't told her yet," Meredith replied. Lexie waited to hear a reason. When she didn't get one, she gestured to her sister to go on. "Do you know what she asked for Christmas this year? A Daddy." Lexie smiled at the adorable request. "That's what she asked for. And I don't want to get her hopes up if things don't work out with Derek."

"They will," Lexie assured her. "You just need to let go of that pain and hurt that was caused by Finn."

Meredith gave her a look. "What are you talking about? I have let go of my past. Do you think I wouldn't be dating if I didn't?"

"If you were truly over your dark and twisty past, you wouldn't have asked for advice on dating Derek," Lexie replied. Meredith didn't respond as she headed into the bathroom. Lexie knew the conversation was over.

A few hours later, Meredith was finally ready. However, she was feeling nervous. She didn't why she was. She had gone out with Derek before. It just hadn't a real date. Now that it was, she didn't know if she was ready for it. She then reminded herself that it was just one date. It wasn't like they were getting married.

She jumped as she heard a knock at the door. She went to answer it and gave a wide smile to Derek as he stood in the doorway. He smiled in return as he looked at Meredith. "Wow, you look really nice."

Meredith turned red. "Really? You don't think it's too much?"

Derek shook his head. "No, it's perfect. I love that red sweater. It's very festive."

"Thank you. Morgan picked it out," Meredith replied as they went down the hallway and towards the stairs. "Now I have to warn you that I didn't tell Morgan that we were going out on a date."

"To be honest, I didn't tell Katie either. I didn't know how she would react," Derek replied. "But I think we should. Especially if we are going to continue to date." Meredith was about to protest when Derek didn't let her. "You know we are going to continue to date. Why do you think I asked you to go out with me in the first place? Because we've been going out for awhile and I thought it would be fun to go out on a real date."

"You're going out on a date?" asked an excited voice. The two parents turned to see Katie and Morgan. It was Morgan who had spoken. The two parents walked down towards their daughters. "We're going to be sisters?"

Meredith stopped her right there. "Whoa, Derek and I aren't even close to that," she said as she gave her daughter a gentle smile. "I know you asked for a Daddy, but it's not that easy. It's a long process from that first date to marriage."

Derek nodded in agreement. "That's right. And we're planning to take our relationship slow for you guys."

"You don't have to do that for us," Morgan said. "We don't mind if you go fast."

Meredith laughed. "You are too cute." She then embraced her daughter in a hug and gave her a kiss. "Now be good for Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie."

"I will," Morgan promised as they watched Derek say good-bye to his children.

A short time later, Derek and Meredith were enjoying a nice dinner at a restaurant that Meredith had picked out. She couldn't help but admire the Christmas decorations around them. "It's been so long since I've been here that I had forgotten how pretty is at Christmastime," Meredith noted.

"How long has it been since you've been here?" Derek asked her. "Because the hostess didn't recognize you."

Meredith sighed. "I haven't been in here since Finn and I broke up. I have meant to, but I was always taking care of Morgan or trying to save lives."

"You should get out more," Derek said. "There's a whole world out there besides your hospital."

"I know that," Meredith replied. "The summer after my high school graduation, I went backpacking across Europe." Derek was surprised, but impressed. "Well, I didn't know if I really wanted to go to college. So I just thought that I would see the world. It was so much fun. I would love to take Morgan there one day."

"I'm sure you will," Derek assured her. "I haven't been to Europe, but I have seen the Grand Canyon. It really is just a big giant hole in the middle of the desert."

Meredith laughed. "Really? I didn't know that."

As they continued to chat, Meredith started to forget her nervousness and just enjoy herself. She didn't know why she was so apprehensive in the first place. There was no awkwardness involved. They enjoyed each other's company so much that they didn't want to leave before having wine and dessert. So they picked out a few desserts for themselves, their children and the baby-sitters.

After they were finally done with their dinner and dessert, they headed back to the car. By then, it had started to snow. Derek gave Meredith a wide smile. "Well, I'm sure the kids will be happy. You know how they love snow."

Meredith sighed as she climbed into the front passenger seat. "Yeah, but it creates all sorts of accidents and sends people to the hospital. I'm surprised that my pager hasn't gone off."

Derek tried not to laugh. "You need a vacation," he told her. Meredith gave him a confused look. He then realized that he had to explain himself. "You never stop thinking about work. You never have any fun."

"What are you talking about? I was the maid of honor at Lexie's wedding. I went trick or treating with you and the kids," she reminded him. "We all decorated the house and tree together." She really didn't want to mention her New York trip, but she felt that she had to. "And I took time off to fly to New York so I could be there for you and your children."

Derek knew that she had a point. "True, but when is the last time you took a vacation for yourself?"

Meredith thought for a moment before realizing that she was right. She never had a chance to have a vacation since Morgan was born. All she did was work. "I guess it was right after Finn and I broke up."

"That's what I'm buying you for Christmas, airline tickets to your vacation destination. Just tell me where you want to go for the weekend and I'll make all the arrangements," Derek replied. Meredith was about to protest when he went on. "Don't worry about Morgan. I'll take care of her. And it's only three days. Besides, aren't you an attending now? You can leave the dirty stuff to your interns."

Meredith knew that he had a point. "That's true, but they never do anything right."

"Well, you have to give them a chance," Derek replied. "Otherwise, they will never learn."

"You're speaking from experience?" Meredith asked him.

Derek nodded. "I do it all the time for my students," he replied as they arrived at the house. There was an awkward silence before Derek spoke again. He gave her a wide smile. "I had a nice time tonight."

Meredith returned the smile. "Me too."

There was a short pause before Derek spoke again. "Look, I understand that you want to take it slow for Morgan. I want too. But I think it's time that we both swallow our prides and admit that we are meant to be more than friends." Meredith didn't want to admit it, but she knew that he was right. "Even our children think so."

"We should go in. We could freeze to death in here," Meredith said before she opened her door. She was relieved when Derek didn't say anything else. Instead, he climbed out of the car and followed her up to the house. She unlocked the door and they walked into the foyer.

They exchanged smiles with Lexie as she looked at them relieved. "Hey, I'm glad you guys are home. The snow is coming down pretty hard out there."

Derek nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it wasn't easy, but I managed to drive through it. How were the kids?"

"They were great, but they wore Mark out. He fell asleep on the couch before I sent him up to the guestroom," Lexie told them. "How was the date?"

"We brought dessert home for the kids," Meredith said, avoiding the question. She could see Lexie was disappointed. "And I managed to pick up a couple of pieces for you and Mark," she told her as she gave her sister the bag. "I know how crazy your cravings are."

"Thank you. You're the best," Lexie replied as she pulled out one of the desserts. "I'm sure Ben and I will love it."

"So you and Mark finally picked out a name?" Derek asked her.

"Well, we're trying it out," Lexie replied. "We're still playing around with names."

"I'm going to check on Morgan," Meredith told them before Lexie and Derek started a conversation about baby names. She walked upstairs and tiptoed into her daughter's bedroom. She smiled to herself as she saw her sleeping daughter.

As she gently walked up to her, Morgan suddenly opened her eyes and gave her a smile. "Did you have fun on your date?" she asked anxiously.

Meredith gave her daughter a stern look. "Morgan Ellis Grey, have you been up all this time?"

Morgan nodded. "I've been watching the snow fall," she replied. "Can we play in it tomorrow?"

Meredith managed a smile. "We'll have to see. Now you need to get to sleep. Otherwise, Santa might think you're naughty."

"But what about your date?" Morgan asked.

Meredith knew that her daughter wouldn't sleep until she heard the answer. "Yes, I had fun." She knew that Morgan would ask more questions if she didn't continue. "We sat around and talked about different things."

"Are you going to do it again?" Morgan asked.

Meredith sighed. "I don't know yet." She then helped Morgan snuggle back into the covers. "Now go to sleep." She then gave her a kiss and gave her a smile. "Good night, sweetheart. I love you."

Morgan smiled in return. "I love you too," she replied. Meredith was about to leave the room when her daughter spoke again. She turned to her, ready to listen. "Mommy, you should go out with him. He makes you really happy."

Meredith just gave her daughter a smile as she closed the door. She then jumped as Lexie appeared. "You know she's right," she whispered. Meredith didn't respond as she headed to her bedroom. "Derek told me about your date. Why didn't you give him an answer?"

"Because I needed time to think about it," Meredith replied. Lexie was about to respond when her sister didn't let her. "I'm really tired, Lexie. Can we talk about this in the morning?" she asked her hopefully.

Lexie sighed. "Alright, but I want your side of the story tomorrow. You don't mind if Mark and I sleep here tonight? I really hate to wake him. Besides, it is snowing really hard outside."

Meredith nodded. "Of course you can." The two sisters then told each other good night before Lexie headed to the guest room and Meredith headed back downstairs. She wasn't surprised to see that Derek had left the room. She knew that he was checking on his own children. She sat down on the couch and her thoughts started to drift off.

She soon heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Derek gave her a wide smile as he joined her on the couch. "The kids are fast asleep," he told her. "They really must have had fun today with Mark and Lexie."

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, I think that they did." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "Derek, you're right. I want to take that next step with you. I just didn't know if I was ready until now."

"So what are you saying?" Derek asked her. "Do you want to go out with me again?"

Meredith nodded. "Yes, I do." She then snuggled up close to him. "This is really cozy," she told him. "I think it would work better with a fireplace though." Derek just smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and they slowly drifted off to sleep.


	11. Joy to the World

**A/N:** Thank you all for the awesome reviews.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

** Joy to the World**

Meredith opened her eyes and was surprised to see that she was still leaning against Derek on the couch. She looked up and saw that Derek was awakening as well. He smiled down at her. "Good morning, did you sleep well?" Derek asked her.

Meredith returned the smile. "Yes, I did," she replied as she looked at the time. "I should start breakfast. I'm sure the kids will be up soon. And I really don't want to wake up Mark and Lexie. They deserve some sleep after watching the kids all night."

Derek nodded in agreement. "Do you want some help?"

Meredith smiled gratefully. "Sure," she replied before they headed into the kitchen. It wasn't long before they heard footsteps on the stairs. They exchanged greetings with a relieved Mark as he came into the room. "Did you have a rough night?"

Mark shook his head as he sat down at the island. "I'm not in the mood to make breakfast with Lexie having her wacky cravings. I can't wait until Benjamin is here. Then I'll be able to relax more."

Derek and Meredith exchanged smiles before they turned back to the father-to-be. Mark looked at them, a little nervous. Derek then spoke. "I hate to tell you this, but a parent never gets to relax. In fact, I think you will be more stressed out than ever. Are you sure you don't want to back out?"

"Of course he doesn't," Lexie replied as she came into the kitchen. "What are you making for breakfast? Because I'm starving."

"We're making pancakes together," Derek replied. "We'll make sure to save some for you and Benjamin." Lexie gave him a grateful smile before she sat down at the table. The guys started talking about sports when the children came running down the stairs. He gave them a wide smile. "Hey, who's ready for pancakes?"

"We want to go out in the snow," Katie told him.

"Why don't you eat first and then your dad and Uncle Mark will take you out to play?" Meredith suggested.

Derek was disappointed. "You aren't coming out with us?"

"Well, someone has to stay inside and make the hot chocolate," Meredith pointed out.

Lexie suddenly spoke up. "I can do that," she offered. "You go and play with your boyfriend and kids."

Meredith gave her a confused look. "How did you know that? We didn't tell anybody yet."

Morgan gave her mother a smile. "Because you are happy, Mommy," she replied.

Nobody could argue with that one. Everyone then quickly ate their breakfast before Meredith and Derek helped the children into their winter clothing. They then helped each other before heading out the door. Prince was right behind them.

The next several minutes were full of fun. Derek and Meredith helped the children build a snowman. Derek then threw a snowball at Meredith, which caught her by surprised. She then started a snowball fight. It was the Shepherd family verses the two Greys. By the time that the hot chocolate was ready, everyone was getting tired and cold.

As they drank their hot chocolate, Lexie and Mark decided that it was time for them to leave. Katie and Morgan were disappointed, but they understood. They said good-bye to their aunt and uncle just before Meredith suggested a fun activity. "Who is ready to make Christmas cookies?"

The children instantly agreed. Derek soon joined in. After making the delicious cookies, Morgan and Katie convinced their parents to allow them to eat one cookie each. Their parents then sent them off to play before they started to make lunch.

After lunch, Meredith and Derek quickly cleaned up the kitchen. The fun day then continued as the five played a couple of card games and put puzzles together. By the time the late afternoon, the three kids were exhausted. They were sent upstairs for naps.

Derek and Meredith then cuddled up on the couch again. "You know, I'm not in the mood for dinner. Maybe we could just order some pizza and watch some Christmas movies. I'm sure that there is a Christmas movie we could all agree on," Meredith told him.

Derek nodded in agreement. "That sounds perfect."

Meredith was quiet for a moment before speaking. "Derek, I've been thinking about your offer. And I will only accept it if you will come with me." Derek looked at her surprised. "I know I need a vacation, but I think you do too."

"Who will watch the kids?" Derek asked her. "I would hate to ask Mark and Lexie since she's pregnant. And I don't want to leave the kids with strangers. They don't know anybody else here except your coworkers at the hospital."

Meredith knew that he had a point. "Why is it that you were so willing to help me go, but not yourself?"

"Because you need a vacation," Derek replied.

Meredith was disappointed. "Come on, Derek. I thought it would be fun for us to spend some time alone from our crazy brood. It's only for three days. Don't you think that Mark and Lexie can handle our kids for a weekend?"

"That's not the problem I have," Derek told her. Meredith gave him a confused look. She couldn't figure out the problem. "It's way too soon for us to be sleeping together. After all, we have our children to think about."

"I know. I absolutely agree. That's why we're going to ask for two separate beds when you call the hotel," Meredith replied. She then gave him a smile. "But you do realize that we're already breaking the rules, right?"

"This doesn't count," Derek replied as he let out a yawn. "So where do you want to go?"

"So you're going with me?" Meredith asked him hopefully. Derek nodded. She gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Derek. You don't know how much this means to me."

Derek smiled in return. "I think I do," he replied.

Derek and Meredith didn't try to hide their relationship. Since Mark and Lexie already knew, it was only a matter of time before all of their friends and family knew. Cristina and Owen weren't surprised at all. Neither was Alex. George was happy for Meredith and couldn't wait to meet Derek once he came back to the States.

Derek's huge family didn't know what to think about him dating Meredith. None of them had met Meredith or Morgan. So they were interested in meeting them. They insisted on Derek bringing them back with them when he came back to New York for Christmas. At the last minute, Derek changed his mind about returning to New York. He wanted to spend the holidays with his girlfriend and their children. His mother was disappointed, but she understood. She made him promise to bring everyone during the summer. Meredith agreed to the promise.

Meredith soon found out that Owen and Cristina were flying back to Seattle for the Christmas holidays. Alex also flew back for the holidays with his new girlfriend, Jo. Derek and Meredith then decided that it would nice to have a Christmas party. Meredith then invited Mark, Lexie, Chief Webber and Dr. Bailey. Derek decided to invite some of his coworkers from school. It wasn't long before everyone accepted.

That morning, Meredith woke up early. She hurried to the closet where she had hidden the gifts. She then grabbed the wrapping paper and tape before she went to work. She was so busy that she didn't pay attention to the time. She jumped as there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" she called, hoping that it wasn't Morgan or Katie.

"It's me," Derek called back, making Meredith let out a relieved sigh. She told him to come in. He poked his head in the door and was surprised at the amount of toys in front of him. He quickly closed the door before he spoke. "Meredith, what is all this?"

"They're Christmas presents for the children," Meredith replied. "I told you that I go all out for Morgan. I thought that I could do the same for Katie and Christopher. I haven't had a chance to wrap them since I've been so busy planning the party."

Derek raised his eyebrows. "I don't remember you buying this much the other day when we went to the toy store."

Meredith turned red. "I went back to the toy store with Lexie." Derek gave her a look. "Well, she was trying to find some stuff for the kids. And I went along to help her. And I saw some more things that I thought the kids would like."

Derek sighed. He then knew that he had to tell her the truth. "I have a confession to make." Meredith looked at him curious. "I too went back to the toy store after we went together." Meredith gave him a smile. "I didn't think I had enough for the kids."

"Those kids are going to swimming in toys and books tomorrow," Meredith replied. "Did you get a chance to wrap your presents yet?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah, I brought the gifts to school and made my students do it for extra credit."

Meredith raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Your students were willing to do that?"

"Hey, it was for extra credit," Derek pointed out. "Who wouldn't wrap up Christmas presents for extra credit? They did a nice wrapping job too."

Meredith didn't know how to respond to that. She looked at the time and groaned. "I got to get breakfast going for the kids."

"Calm down. I'll doing that. And you don't have to worry about setting up for the party yet," Derek told her. "After all, that's not until the evening. So you just take your time and I'll occupy the kids while you're playing Santa Claus." Meredith just smiled at him as he left the bedroom.

Hours later, the Christmas party began. To Meredith's and Derek's annoyance, everyone brought Christmas presents for the three kids. They begged their parents to allow them to be opened now.

"Wouldn't you want to wait until tomorrow morning?" Meredith asked them.

"I'm sure Santa wouldn't mind if they open them now," Mark replied. "After all, it_ is_ Christmas."

Meredith sighed before she and Derek exchanged looks. Meredith knew that she couldn't win. "Alright, you can open them. But it can't be until later," she told them. The girls didn't care. They were just excited that they were able to open presents instead of waiting.

"If they think that they are in heaven now, I can't imagine how they will feel tomorrow morning," Meredith told Cristina. "You didn't buy them anything extravagant, did you?"

Cristina gave her a look. "Of course not." She then changed the subject. "Are you planning to get your boyfriend anything for Christmas?"

"I got him a few little things. Our big present to each other is our vacation. I convinced him to let me buy his ticket while he handles mine," Meredith replied. "We're planning to go to Hawaii."

"Are you going to share the same bed?" Cristina asked.

Meredith gave her a look. "Do you really think we would do it this soon in the relationship? No, we're going to have separate beds."

"I would do it, but then again, I don't have children," Cristina replied.


	12. Mistletoe and Wine

**A/N**: Thank you all for the awesome reviews.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

** Mistletoe and Wine**

The next morning, Meredith was sleeping soundly when she heard two excited little voices from a distance. She barely had a chance to open her eyes before Morgan and Katie came running in. "Mommy, it's Christmas," Morgan exclaimed excitedly.

Meredith gave her a smile as she looked at the time. "I know, but it's a little too early to go downstairs and open presents." Morgan and Katie were disappointed. Meredith had a feeling that she wouldn't win this one. "Go and see if Derek is up."

"We already did," Katie told her. "Daddy said that we should see what you say."

"Well, I say that the presents can wait, but I can see that you can't," Meredith replied. "So go and tell Derek that we will be opening presents soon." The two girls then dashed out of the room. Meredith couldn't help but smile at their excitement.

It wasn't long before Derek and Meredith were settled on the couch while their children sat around the Christmas tree and opened their presents. None of the children could believe how many presents were wrapped under the tree. Derek and Meredith couldn't stop smiling as they saw the looks of joy on their children's faces as they tore open their presents. They couldn't help but laugh as Prince tried to open his presents before Derek helped him.

"I'm going to make some pancakes for breakfast," Derek told them as he got up from the couch. "Who wants some?"

Morgan was disappointed. "But then we won't be able to watch the Disney parade."

Derek gave her a smile. "Well, it's a good thing that I bought doughnuts as a surprise instead," he replied. The girls squealed in delight. "I'll go and get them out of the hiding place." He headed towards the kitchen with Meredith right behind him. She helped him get the food ready before Derek started making their breakfasts.

"Did you know that Mark and Lexie are having a New Year's Eve party?" Derek asked her.

Meredith nodded. "Yeah, Mark told me that he used to host one every year back in New York. He wanted to continue the tradition when he moved here. Lexie always agreed to it because she thought it would be fun. I didn't go last year because Morgan had begged me to stay home with her."

"Do you want to go this year?" Derek asked her. "I'm sure that we can find a baby-sitter to take care of the kids."

Meredith shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking about hanging with Cristina that night."

"If it makes you feel any better, Owen and Cristina are invited too," Derek told her. "Alex and Jo offered to take the kids for the night." Meredith was surprised. "Well, I know the kids don't really know Jo yet, but they could get to know her. Or we could call and see if your baby-sitter April Kepner is available."

"We can try, but I have a feeling that she will be spending the night with her boyfriend," Meredith replied.

"So do you not want to go to the party?" Derek asked. "It's ok if you don't want to go. We can just have our own little party right here."

Meredith gave him a smile. "That actually sounds nice. I'll tell Lexie when we go over there this afternoon."

Derek nodded in agreement. "That sounds great," he replied.

However, Meredith could tell that something was bothering him. "It's Addison, isn't it?"

Derek sighed. "Yeah, it's been months and she still hasn't woken up. I want her to for Katie and Christopher, but I don't know if it's going to happen." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "I'm thinking that it might be time to pull the plug." Meredith didn't know what to say. "I just don't know how to tell the kids. One of Katie's wishes for Christmas was to have her mommy wake up from her coma."

"Well, there is still hope," Meredith told him. "Her condition hasn't changed at all from the time that she has been brought in."

Derek knew that she had a point. "I know. I just wish her condition has improved a little. That way, I can tell Katie that her mommy is getting better." He then became quiet as Morgan and Katie came into the kitchen. Little Christopher was right behind them. He gave them a wide smile. "So you got tired of your toys already? Good because your trays are prepared for you."

The children thanked him before they took their breakfasts into the den and started watching the parade. After eating their breakfast, they went back to playing with their toys, no longer interested in watching it. Derek and Meredith stood in the doorway and watched them fondly. Morgan stopped for a moment and looked at them. She started giggling. Katie soon joined in. Derek and Meredith exchanged looks before they turned back to their children. "What's so funny?" Derek asked them.

"You're under the mistletoe," Morgan told them as she gestured to the decoration above them. "Aunt Lexie told me that you're supposed to kiss."

"Well, your Aunt Lexie is right," Meredith replied as she turned to Derek. He looked just as nervous as she did. She then turned back to her daughter. "But that doesn't mean that we can't break tradition. Now let's get our clothes changed so we can get ready to go to Uncle Mark's and Aunt Lexie's." Neither of the girls moved. "What's wrong?"

"We're not going until you two kiss," Morgan demanded. "And it has to be like a kiss from _Sleeping Beauty_."

"Or _Little Mermaid_," Katie added.

Meredith and Derek looked at each other. They closed their eyes and started to lean in. Their lips soon touch almost delicately. They gradually increased the pressure of their lips and the force of their kiss. The short quick kiss was quickly turning into a deep passionate kiss. They finally had to separate to let their lungs get some air. They couldn't help smiling as they regained their breaths.

They then remembered their daughters who were giggling away. "Ok, let's go and change out of our pajamas," Derek told them as he walked over to Christopher. "A deal is a deal." He picked his son up and led Katie and Morgan up the stairs. Meredith couldn't believe that they just had their first kiss. She could tell that Derek was still recovering as well. She didn't want to admit it, but she really enjoyed it.

When they arrived at the apartment, the children exchanged greetings with their aunt and uncle before they started telling them what Santa had given them. Mark suddenly interrupted them by reminding them about the Wii. They quickly forgot about their gifts and went to go play it. Mark and Derek were right behind them while Lexie led Meredith to the new nursery.

Meredith was impressed on how much Mark and Lexie had already started on the nursery. "Wow, I didn't think that you would be able to get working on it until after the holidays," she told her sister.

Lexie nodded. "I know, but Mark wants to make sure it's all ready by the time Ben comes. He's so excited that we're having a son."

"So is it official?" Meredith asked her. "Is Benjamin going to be the name of my nephew, not to mention godson?"

Lexie gave her a wide smile. "I think so," she told her as she sat down in the rocking chair that was by the bassinet. "Mark bought this for me for Christmas," she said as she started rocking the chair back and forth.

"It's really nice," Meredith noted as she observed the rocking chair. "You will definitely need it during those sleepless nights."

Lexie laughed before she changed the subject. "So how was this morning? It sounds like Katie and Morgan got everything that they wanted."

Meredith nodded. "For the most part, they did." She then decided to bring up the party before she would forget. "Derek and I have decided not to go to the party. We're going to have a nice quiet New Year's Eve at home."

Lexie nodded understandingly. "Well, that works out since Mark and I have decided to cancel the party." Meredith looked at her surprised. "Mark wanted to do it, but I'm not sure if I am in the mood to host a party this year."

"Just remember that there aren't that many parties left for you to host or go to before you two become parents," Meredith gently reminded her. Lexie gave her a look. "I'm just telling you the truth."

"So what are you and Derek going to do while the kids are asleep?" Lexie asked her sister.

Meredith shrugged. "I don't know. We'll probably just cuddle up together on the couch and just talk. Or play board games. I don't know yet. We haven't discussed what we are doing yet."

Before Lexie could reply, Morgan came into the nursery. "Aunt Lexie, Mommy and Derek kissed under the mistletoe," she told her.

Lexie gave her sister a wide smile. "It's about time you two had your first kiss."

"How do you know that it is our first kiss?" Meredith asked. "You don't have to know everything about my relationship with Derek, do you? I don't ask questions about your relationship with your husband, do I?"

Lexie knew that she had a point. "Fine, I'll just get all my information from my nieces."

Morgan shook her head. "I won't if Mommy tells me not to," she replied.

Meredith smiled proudly. "That's my girl."

Hours later, they arrived back home. Derek and Meredith immediately sent their children up to bed. Christopher had already fallen asleep and Derek had to carry him inside. After the girls had gotten ready for bed, their parents came in to say good night to them.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" Meredith asked her daughter as she tucked her in.

Morgan gave her a wide smile. "Yeah, it was more fun because Derek, Katie and Christopher were here."

Meredith nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think so too."

As the week passed, the five of them continued to do activities together. They played board games. They did puzzles together. Even though Christmas was now over, Katie and Morgan still wanted to watch Christmas movies.

Once Katie and Morgan heard that their parents were staying home for New Year's Eve, they begged them to let them stay up until midnight. Both parents didn't believe that their children would be able to stay up until that time, but they were willing to let them try.

That night, the girls stayed up as long as they could. It was easy at first, but they eventually became sleepy. So Derek and Meredith carried them up to their rooms and put them to bed. They then return downstairs to the kitchen, where Derek pulled out the wine bottle from the refrigerator. Meredith took out two wine glasses from the cabinet.

Derek then poured the wine into the glasses. "This year has been really tough for me and my family. I can't thank you and Morgan enough for helping us get through it."

Meredith gave him a wide smile. "That's what friends are for." She then lead in and he took her lead. They shared a deep passionate kiss before they pulled away. "Why don't we take our party upstairs? It might be cozier in my bedroom."

Derek nodded in agreement. He then followed her upstairs to the master bedroom. They cuddled up under the covers together as they started to drink their wine and watch television. However, they soon found out that there was nothing on, no matter how much Meredith flipped channels. "What do we do now?" Derek asked as Meredith turned the television off.

"We can watch another Christmas movie," Meredith suggested. Derek made a face. Meredith laughed before she thought for a moment. She then had another suggestion. "Or we can make out for awhile."

Derek gave her a smile. "I love that idea," he replied before they started a make out session.


	13. Some Kind of Miracle

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

** Some Kind of Miracle**

"Mommy, how come we can't go on your vacation with Derek?" Morgan asked her mother for the hundredth time as she and Katie watched Meredith pack her suitcase. "We want to go to Hawaii too."

Meredith gave her daughter a gentle smile. "I know you girls do. But this is just a weekend getaway for grown-ups. Derek and I will take you two and Christopher to Hawaii for a family vacation next year."

She could see that the two girls were still disappointed. "How come we can't go this year?" Morgan asked.

"Because we are going to visit Derek's family in New York City, remember?" Meredith reminded her.

"Why can't we do both?" Katie asked. Both Derek and Meredith noticed that the more Katie was around Meredith, the more comfortable she had become in talking to her.

Meredith sighed. "Why don't we discuss it later?" she asked her. "Right now, I need to finish packing." The two girls didn't move. Meredith knew that she had to throw a suggestion out there so she could pack faster. "Why don't you two go and play with Prince? I'm sure that he would love someone to play with right now." Just then, the doorbell rang. Meredith frowned. "I wonder who that can be," she said as Morgan and Katie raced to answer the door. Meredith was right behind them.

When they arrived at the door, Meredith was surprised to see Mark. He gave a wide smile to his nieces as he embraced them in a hug. Meredith waited until he sent the girls off to play before turning back to Meredith. "Guess what? You just got another roommate. I'm moving in," he announced before he pulled his suitcase into the front hall.

"Why? What happened with Lexie?" Meredith asked him.

"I love her, but she is driving me crazy," Mark replied. He started a list of complaints as Derek came into the room. They exchanged greetings as he noticed the suitcase. "I'm moving in."

Derek looked at him confused. Meredith knew that he needed help. "He doesn't like his _pregnant _wife right now_,_" she explained.

Derek nodded understandingly. "Well, you're not staying here."

Mark frowned. "What? Why not? You used to let me stay at your place all the time when we were in New York."

Derek knew that he had a point. "Yeah, but that was before you got married and got your wife pregnant. You have to stick by her and deal with her when her hormones are out of whack. You only have three months left before you become a father. You can handle that, right?"

Mark sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. But can I stay here one night at least? I just need a break from Lexie."

Derek and Meredith looked at each other before they turned back to Mark. "If you don't mind sleeping on the couch, I have no problem with it," Meredith replied. Mark gave her a wide smile. "Lexie does know that you're here, right?"

"Of course she does," Mark replied. "Where else would I go?"

Meredith didn't know how to respond to that. Instead, she followed Derek into the kitchen while Mark went to find his nieces and nephew. "How often did Mark come and knock on your door to spend the night after an argument with his girlfriend?"

Derek thought for a moment. "I don't know. I lost track once high school was over. I told him that it had to quit once Addison moved in. I didn't think that she would feel comfortable with Mark showing up all the time. And I was right." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "What about you? Did Lexie ever have to cool off at your house?"

Meredith shook her head. "We didn't really talk to each other until I moved to Seattle." She then changed the subject. "Are you sure you're ok with adjoining rooms?" she asked him. When Derek had arranged the rooms for the hotel, he made sure that he and Meredith would get adjoining rooms while they were in Hawaii.

Derek gave her a comforting smile. "Yes, don't worry about it. I don't care how the arrangement is as long as I am with my girlfriend." Meredith couldn't argue with that. They shared a passionate kiss as they heard his cell-phone ringing. They pulled away as Derek answered it. He gave her a quick kiss before he went in the other room to talk.

Meredith could hear his surprised voice. She didn't have to wonder for long when Derek came in with a shocked expression on his face. She became concerned. "Derek, what's wrong?" she asked him.

Derek couldn't find his voice for a moment. "Addison was awake for a few moments," he finally told her. Meredith was just as shocked as Derek was. "Callie didn't tell me this, but she moved her hands over the Christmas holidays. She didn't want to tell me because she didn't want to get Katie's hopes up. Now the doctor thinks that Addison just went back into a deep sleep. According to him, she doesn't seem to have any excessive brain damage. So when she is fully awake, it is possible that she will be able to make a complete recovery. It looks like Katie will get her Christmas wish after all."

Meredith gave him a smile. "That's great, Derek," she replied. "See, I knew that you had to have faith in her." Derek was quiet for a moment. Meredith didn't have to ask to know what he was thinking. "You want to cancel our trip so you can go help her recover?" Derek was about to answer when she didn't let him. "It's ok. I understand. I'll just give the tickets to April and her boyfriend. I wish that I could go with you, but I think that it's better that I stay here."

Derek nodded. "I'll make the arrangements at once. Thank you, Meredith. You don't know how this means to me. We should go out and celebrate tonight. And we'll invite Lexie and Mark along. They wouldn't dare to fight in front of the kids."

Meredith knew that was true. "Alright, I'll call Lexie and see if she would like to join us." Derek nodded in agreement and left the kitchen. She just listened as he told the kids the good news about Addison. She couldn't help but hear the happiness in his voice. She didn't want to admit it, but she really didn't want him to go. Yet, she didn't want to be selfish either. Even though Addison was his ex-wife, she understood why he felt that he had to return to New York. Addison needed him and the children right now.

That evening, Lexie reluctantly joined Mark, Derek, Meredith and the kids. However, the two made sure that they weren't sitting together. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Meredith whispered to Derek as she saw how Mark and Lexie were behaving.

"How else are we going to get Mark out of the house?" Derek whispered back. "This will get them to see each other and let out their feelings."

Meredith wasn't convinced. She knew how stubborn her sister can be. However, she was willing to give it a try. "Lexie, did I tell you that Cristina and Owen are thinking about moving back here?" she asked. Cristina had talked to her about it on New Year's Day, but she couldn't remember if she had mentioned that to her sister.

Lexie shook her head. "I guess Minnesota became too cold for them."

"Actually, I think it's because she really_ missed_ working at Seattle Grace," Meredith replied, hoping Mark or Lexie would get the hint. Neither of them said anything. "I know that I would. Even though I don't like my residents, I love working at Seattle Grace. I love saving lives."

Morgan gave her a smile. "I want to be just like you when I grow up," she piped up.

"Just to warn you, it took Mommy years of schooling," Meredith warned her. "Are you sure you want to do that? Wouldn't you rather be a teacher like Derek?"

Derek raised his eyebrows. "You don't want her to continue the Grey tradition of becoming a doctor? Why not?"

Meredith didn't want to explain it in front of Morgan. "Morgan can be anything that she wants to be," she replied as she turned to Morgan. "You just don't have to become a doctor because Mommy is, ok?"

"But I want to," Morgan replied. "You're my hero."

Meredith couldn't help smiling at that. Neither could anyone else. She embraced her daughter in a tight hug. "I love you," she told her. She then turned to Mark and Lexie. "I'm sure Benjamin will think the world of you two when he comes out."

Mark and Lexie exchanged looks before they turned back to Derek, Meredith and the kids. "Don't you think that you should get these kids to bed?" Mark hinted. The two parents agreed as the kids groaned. However, they obeyed their parents by saying good-bye to Mark and Lexie.

"I'll call you tomorrow to talk to you about planning my baby shower," Lexie told Meredith.

Meredith was caught off guard. "Your baby shower?"

Lexie nodded. "I can't have my baby without having a baby shower first. And I don't have a lot of time left before your nephew pops out."

Meredith didn't want to admit it, but she didn't want to host the baby shower. "We'll talk tomorrow," she replied before she grabbed Morgan's hand. "Good-bye Lexie. Call me if you need anything."

"I will," she promised as the five headed towards the exit.

"That went better than I had expected," Meredith told Derek as soon as they were in the parking lot. "I just hope that they are that civil as they were without us. I really don't want Mark to be sleeping on my couch for the next three months."

"They will work it out," Derek assured her as he turned to the kids. "Now who wants some ice cream?"

He was met with cheers from the three kids. After getting ice cream, the five were on their way home. Meredith waited until the kids were put to bed, Meredith knew that it was time to talk about her fears.

"What does Addison know about me again?" she asked Derek as they headed into the kitchen.

Derek turned to her. He knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry. I'm not going to tell her about us right away. It will be hard enough for her to find out about me and the kids moving to Seattle." Meredith knew that he had a point. He gave her a comforting smile. "Everything will be fine. I promise."

A few days later, Meredith and Morgan were seeing Derek, Katie and Christopher off at the airport. According to Callie, Addison was now drifting in and out of consciousness. She didn't think it would be long before she was fully awake. Katie and Christopher couldn't wait until she was fully conscious.

"I won't be gone long," Derek reminded Meredith. "I'll just be there to help Addison get settled in with her physical therapy." Meredith nodded as he turned to Morgan. "You're going to have to keep an eye on Uncle Mark and Aunt Lexie for us. Don't forget to kick Uncle Mark out if he tries to move into the house again." Since Mark's unexpected announcement, he had picked up his suitcase and moved back in with Lexie.

"I will," Morgan promised.

Meredith noticed that Morgan was quiet on the way home. She was surprised, but she had a feeling that she was sad that Katie had left. Once they arrived home, Morgan just went to the den and started watching television. Meredith could see that something was bothering her. "What's wrong, sweetie?" she finally asked as she joined her daughter on the couch.

"Katie said that she might have to go live with her mommy again," Morgan told her sadly.

Meredith then understood the reason for Morgan's sadness. "And you don't want to lose your best friend?" Morgan shook her head. Meredith gave her a gentle smile. "Even if Katie and Christopher move back to New York, it won't be for awhile yet. Katie's mommy has a long way to go before she can take care of them again, ok?"

Morgan was quiet for a moment. "What about Derek?"

Even though she and Derek didn't talk about it, Meredith knew the answer. "Derek isn't going anywhere," she promised her.


	14. State of Love and Trust

**A/N**: Thank you for the awesome reviews.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

** State of Love and Trust**

Meredith parked the car in an empty parking space. She then turned off the car and climbed out before she helped Morgan out of her car seat. They then grabbed hands before they walked across the parking lot and into the store. They then grabbed a cart and started their search for the food on their shopping list. Meredith couldn't help but notice all the Valentine's Day decorations. She had forgotten that it was the holiday that was coming up next.

"Mommy, how come they have all this candy out?" Morgan asked her curiously as she eyed the candy.

"Because the stores are getting ready for the next holiday," Meredith explained. "And that's Valentine's Day."

"Is that where you tell Derek how much you love him?" Morgan asked her.

Meredith was quiet for a moment. Even though she and Derek were dating, they never said those three words to each other. She thought that it was too soon. However, she didn't know how he felt. She knew that it was best to change the subject. "Why don't we go find a birthday card for Christopher? After all, it is his birthday coming up."

Morgan nodded and led the way to that aisle. "Can we get him a present too?" she asked as they started looking through the cards. "Birthdays are no fun without presents."

Meredith gave her a wide smile. "I think that it is a great idea. I'll talk to Derek to see what we could send him."

"Can we talk to him now?" Morgan asked eagerly.

Meredith laughed. We'll call him when we get home," she promised. She knew that Morgan was missing Derek and the kids just as much as she was. They only had been gone a few days, but it seemed like a lifetime. "Now what birthday card do you think Christopher would like?"

After they were done shopping, they headed home. They then unloaded and unpacked the food before Meredith dialed Derek's cell-phone number. They anxiously waited to hear Derek's voice. _"Hey, I was just thinking about you."_

Meredith then put him on speaker before she and Morgan both greeted him. She then let Morgan talk to him first. She was disappointed to hear that Katie and Christopher were hanging out with their cousins for the day.

"What can we get Christopher for his birthday?" Morgan suddenly asked.

Derek had to think for a moment before answering. _"Well, he loves trains and cars. And he loves the color blue."_

"Thanks Derek," Meredith replied. "That will get us started." She listened patiently as Morgan continued to talk to Derek. Morgan then left to go and play with Prince. Meredith then took Derek off speaker. "So how is Addison?"

Derek didn't speak for a moment before answering. _"Well, she is fully awake."_ Meredith waited for more, but there was silence. She finally heard his voice again. _"And there is still no brain damage. So she will be able to make a full recovery. She already has started her physical therapy."_

"That's great news," Meredith replied. "How is she adjusting?"

_"Addison was shocked at first, but she is better now. She is relieved that the children are ok,"_ Derek replied. "_I told her about our life in Seattle." _There was then more silence. Meredith then knew that the conversation didn't go well. _"She wasn't exactly happy about any of it."_ Meredith wasn't surprised. _"So I'm not sure how the custody arrangement will work out once she heals."_

Meredith sighed. "Yeah, Morgan told me that she didn't want Katie to move back in with Addison. Because that means that she will move back to New York. I didn't know how to calm her down except to tell her that it won't be for awhile yet. She was even afraid that you would move back."

_"I only would if you and Morgan would come with me,"_ Derek replied. _"I'm not going to leave you two behind."_

"You already did," she reminded him. "After all, Morgan and I are here and you are back in New York."

_"Well, it doesn't have to be that way,"_ Derek said. _"After all, you two could come to New York for Christopher's birthday."_

"Would I have to meet your crazy family?" Meredith teased him.

_"That's not who you should worry about,"_ Derek replied. _"Addison is the one who really wants to meet you. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing." _Meredith didn't know what to think either._ "But it doesn't matter anyway. I'm going to be by your side to make sure nobody messes with you or Morgan."_

"Thanks Derek," Meredith replied gratefully. "And I wish that I could tell you that I could, but there is no way that I can leave work like that."

_"I understand,"_ Derek said. She could hear the disappointment in his voice. _"It's probably best since the kids and I are going to be returning soon after that anyway. I got to go. I miss you both and I'll see you soon."_

"We miss you guys too. It's too quiet with just Morgan," Meredith told him. She heard Derek laughing on the other end. They then exchanged good-byes before they hung up. She then noticed that Morgan had returned to the room.

"How many days until they come back?" Morgan asked her. "I miss them."

Meredith gave a gentle smile to the little girl. "I know you do. I miss them too," she replied. "They still have ten days left. But don't worry. I'm sure that the days will go by fast. They'll be back before you know it."

A week later, Derek and his family including Addison were celebrating Christopher's third birthday. Once Addison had been released from the hospital, she moved in with Callie. Derek and the children stayed with Derek's mother, but they had visited her twice since she had been released. When Addison had seen her children the first time, she had burst into tears and brought them in a loving embrace. She didn't want to let them go. They then talked to her about their adventures in Seattle. Addison just listened to them as Derek tried to read her expression.

On Christopher's birthday, Derek wasn't in the mood to join in the fun. He was missing Meredith and Morgan too much. Even though they called each other whenever they could, he still missed them. He wished that they could be here to celebrate with them. Yet, he knew that Meredith still wasn't ready to meet his mother and nosy sisters.

However, he put on a brave face until after the party was over. The kids then played while he helped Lizzie and Kathleen clean up the mess. However, his sisters relinquished him of his duty so he could call Meredith. He was disappointed when he heard her voicemail. He wondered if she suddenly had to work. He wouldn't be surprised if she had.

He snapped out of his daydream as he heard approaching footsteps. He turned to see Addison slowly walking into the kitchen. Derek offered to help her, but she shook her head. She was determined to reach her destination alone. She was able to get to a kitchen chair successfully without any help.

Addison then looked at her ex-husband. "I'm surprised that you weren't out there playing with the kids," she said.

Derek shrugged. "I wasn't not in the mood to play with them today." He waited to see if Addison would comment about Meredith and Morgan. He then changed his mind and decided to defend himself. "Look, I know that you aren't happy about me moving the kids to Seattle or that I have a girlfriend already. But you knew how much I wanted to move away from New York. And the kids really seem to love Seattle."

Addison then spoke up. "That's the problem. What are we supposed to do now for the custody arrangement? I don't want to force them to move back here with me if they are going to be unhappy here." Derek was about to interrupt when Addison continued. "And what about your relationship with Meredith Grey? How serious is it?"

"We've just started dating," Derek reminded her. "So we're not even close to walking down the aisle yet."

"I didn't say anything about marriage," Addison replied. "I'm just surprised that you were willing to move in with a total stranger without even getting to know her first." Derek wasn't surprised that she was judging Meredith before she met her. It was typical Addison. "I know that you met her before at Mark's wedding and became friends, but you still should have been more careful."

"By the time that the kids and I moved in, we were best friends," Derek replied. "And Katie and Morgan were getting along great. So I didn't see any reason why we couldn't have moved in with Meredith and Morgan."

Addison could see that he wasn't backing down. "I would still feel better if I could meet her and her daughter," she replied. "So we'll do it as soon as the doctor gives me the all clear that I am ready to travel. We'll have to discuss the custody arrangement by then anyway."

Derek frowned. "I don't think that it is such a good idea," he told her.

Addison raised her eyebrows. "Why not?" she asked. She didn't let him answer. "You know what? It doesn't matter anyway. I've already started looking for flights for March or April. That should give me plenty of time to recover by then."

"Why can't you wait until the summer like the rest of the family?" Derek asked her.

"Because Meredith has been helping you raise our children for the past five months or so," Addison replied. "And I want to make sure that she is someone that I can trust to watch Katie and Christopher."

Derek knew that she wasn't going to let go of this. "Meredith is a mom too. Of course you can trust her."

"Just because she is a mom too doesn't mean that she is a good one," Addison pointed out.

A few days later, Derek and the children were happily reunited with Meredith and Morgan. Derek and Meredith didn't have a chance to talk until after they arrived home and brought the suitcases in. They made sure that there were no kids around before they shared a deep passionate kiss. Meredith pulled away for a moment to speak. "I have champagne in the fridge for us to celebrate your homecoming."

Derek gave her a wide smile. "That sounds nice, but I need to talk to you for a moment first."

Meredith sighed as she walked into the kitchen. Derek followed her as he listened to what she had to say. "I heard all about the argument between you and Addison. I understand why she wants to meet me. She doesn't know me or my daughter. She has the right to know who is looking after her children. I'm ok with meeting her whenever she flies out here." After she had thought about it, she had decided that it was best for Addison to meet her and vice versa. "I just don't want her to know how dark and twisty I am."

Derek gave her a look. "You are never going to get over that, are you?" he asked her. Meredith shook her head. "I wasn't planning on talking about Addison or the custody arrangement."

Meredith frowned. "Then what did you want to talk to me about?"

Derek gave her a smile. "Are you still willing to go on that weekend getaway trip?" he asked her. Meredith was about to respond when he didn't let her. "I know we gave our plane tickets away. And that's why I bought new ones for Valentine's Day weekend." Meredith looked at him surprised as he pulled out the tickets. "Do you still want to go with me?"

Meredith gave him a smile in return. "Yes, that sounds perfect."


End file.
